Bhi Bhiman

It’s fitting, then, that there truly is–as far as anyone can tell–only one Bhi Bhiman. His parents, emigrants from Sri Lanka, named the songwriter after Bhima, a central character in an ancient Indian text called The Mahabharata. But Bhiman’s own American experience was markedly less exotic than his name would imply–he came of age in the ’90s in St. Louis, reared on Soundgarden and Nirvana, and later relocated to the Bay Area, where he lives today. Bob Dylan and Stevie Wonder may have first inspired him to write songs, but Bhiman’s approach–comical, curious, whip-smart–remains wholly unique. As a songwriter, Bhi consistently exceeds the expectations that should rightly rest on the shoulders of a well-adjusted twenty-something: He can inhabit any number of disparate characters and make them his own.

On his forthcoming disc, BHIMAN, he sings from the perspective of a North Korean prisoner (“Kimchee Line”); a happy-go-lucky redneck (“Ballerina”); a railroad-riding hobo (“Guttersnipe”); a jealous lover (“Eye on You”) and a hopeful retiree (“Take What I’m Given), among other characters. The wide stylistic range Bhiman covers–without losing the cohesiveness of his sound–is just as impressive: “Guttersnipe” is a sprawling, nearly seven-minute epic folk testimonial with a deep empathy for the downtrodden; “Mexican Wine” is an instrumental that sounds like Simon & Garfunkel jamming in West Africa; “Crime of Passion” is buoyant murder ballad–as unlikely as that seems. Through every deviation of style, Bhiman’s love of wordplay and that jaw-dropping voice carry the listener through to a new track and a compelling new story.

Of course, it helps Bhiman’s fine songs to have expert help in crafting his sound. While some of the more minimal tracks on BHIMAN were recorded by the artist on his laptop, the bulk of the disc was tracked at John Vanderslice’s famed Tiny Telephone studios by engineer Jay Pellicci and produced by Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter, Langhorne Slim), who also contributes instrumentation the album. Together, they have created a deep, layered record that is urgent enough to grab listeners at first listen and deep enough to keep them coming back to hear the subtle, soulful shifts in both instrumentation and that powerful human voice. BHIMAN is Bhi’s first truly great album, but one gets the impression that he’ll be singing his stories for a very long time to come. Read Less

Favorite books? I haven’t finished a book in years…not gonna lie to you. It was probably Jurassic Park. I like to read papers and magazines and MLB/NBA stories on mlb.com or espn. I write a lot of songs sitting on the couch watching tv. Old Simpsons, Seinfeld, PBS educational shows. I am a big fan of The McLaughlin Group. I really like the liberal and conservative viewpoints and the yelling.

What are you currently reading/watching/listening to? I just saw Martin Scorsese’s George Harrison documentary (like 3 times), and I re-listened to All Things Must Pass. The guitar riff on Wah Wah is pretty slick. I have an XM radio in my car and I’ve been listening to “50’s On 5” station. Everly Brothers, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, The Drifters, etc. Lots of great 50’s pop vocal groups. I’m also a fan of gospel groups like the Swan Silvertones, Pilgrim Travelers, the Chambers Brothers.

Was there any specific media that inspired you while making the record? There was a deliberate attempt to try and capture the essence of Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks. Its a very acoustic album without necessarily letting you know it.

A funny or memorable in-studio story you can share (naming names great, but not required)? Well, I called up Leon Russell to see if he was free to do a session. I said, “Leon, you gotta get down here.” …And he never did return my call. But seriously, working on this album at Tiny Telephone was amazing. We recorded to tape, which is cool, but what I liked was that there was no computer monitor to look at. I think editing technology can ultimately hurt the process, with all the opportunities to “nudge” or “sweeten” something that should be done during the take. Jay Pellicci, the engineer, has great taste, and great talent. He was huge in the recording of this album. After recording at Tiny, I went to Parsonsfield, ME, to Sam Kassirer’s Great North Sound Society, where we recorded “Time Heals” from the ground up, and put a lot of nice finishing touches on the rest of the album. Sam is full of great ideas, and he definitely put his stamp on this record.

Any hidden talents . . .? One of my weird talents would be that I am really good at recognizing faces of people on TV or in the movies. Like, I could recognize one of Elaine’s random Seinfeld boyfriends in some B movie that’s on tv. I recognized and met Billy Beane (Oakland A’s GM) at a Target…so, to answer your question, I have no hidden talents. I guess I am a somewhat formidable darts player..

Do you have any specific Cardinals-related stories, memories etc.? My parents are both hard workers and we had a babysitter named Fern help raise me and my brother growing up. She was a tough, old, white lady, and was maybe the biggest Cards fan I’ve ever known. She would keep scorecards for each game she watched on tv. She was really my 3rd parent growing up. I used to play ball against David Freese (2011 NLCS & WS MVP) til I was 12 or so. I think I hit a couple dingers off him at some point. And I used to wear my full baseball uniform to Busch Stadium when I was a kid. Cleats and glove and everything.

Other favorite sports teams? I am a pretty rabid Golden State Warriors fan (unfortunately). The NBA players and David Stern really should have gotten a deal done. Right now this just doesn’t sit well. Now all there is is football, which I find boring. I’d rather just see all the highlights at once. I’m an Oakland Athletics fan from the Bash Brothers days, and in the early 2000’s when I moved to the Bay Area, the A’s were/are my AL team.

Tell us about your Sri Lankan heritage, what was it like for your parents moving to the U.S.? What was it like for you growing up in St. Louis? My Dad came to San Jose, CA in 1969 to work and attended SJSU. He became great friends with a Filipino/Hawaiian family, the Ranoas. So he was able to almost immediately adopt an American family. My parents had an arranged marriage in 1974. My Dad travelled back to Sri Lanka to get married to my Mom, and they returned to the US shortly after. My Mom is an ER Pediatrician, and my parents moved from San Jose to Chicago in 1976 for her residency. Chicago is where my brother was born. My Mom found a job in St. Louis in ‘80 and they moved there, where I was born in ’82.

My parents (moreso my Mom) grew up poor in a way most Americans dont know. My maternal Grandmother did not get past the 2nd grade, but from what I’ve heard, she could be a corporate CEO if she had the resources. She raised my Mom and her 8 brothers and sisters with basically no money. All the kids had to pull their weight. My Mom didn’t own a pair of shoes til she was 12. Thats the kind of poverty they lived in. But a strong sense of education allowed all her siblings to rise out of their economic situations.

There is a small Sri Lankan Tamil community in St. Louis, but I didnt really grow up within it. Looking back, I had sort of a brown Norman Rockwell existence growing up in suburban St. Louis. Lots of running around in creeks and forests and playing baseball. There are a lot of things that make me Sri Lankan Tamil, but I feel very American.. My parents always spoke English around the house. I regret not learning Tamil, but I feel like I have a much better knack for English because I only know one language.

Was there a particular moment in your childhood that inspired you to play and write music? Getting a Bob Dylan greatest hits didnt hurt. I really loved Chuck Berry (STL) growing up, and the Back to the Future scene cemented that. I got injured playing in a baseball tourney in Paducah, KY when I was in 8th grade. I swung at a pitch, missed, and a ligament attached to my hip ripped out a piece of bone. It was excruciating. My coach was a psycho, and the games so competitive, that I had to stand there and take strikes 2 and 3 to get struck out so we wouldn’t waste a bench player…Baseball in STL is like football in Texas or hockey in Canada. Its religion. Anyways, that knocked me out for about 6 months, and since then, music and guitar became more my life than anything else.

Are you inspired by any Sri Lankan artists? If so, who and why? I am not really. Not understanding Tamil makes it hard. MIA is Sri Lankan Tamil, and I appreciate her publicity concerning Tamils in 2009, but I don’t consider her a musical influence.

You are incredibly politically outspoken, what current issues are you most passionate about? Its funny, I am not a very political person day to day. I keep up to date with the news, but I am not that passionate about politics. If I’m being political in a song, its just as much a social song as it is political, in terms of characters and story. I like making people (and myself) look at the other side of the coin. I dont want to make anyone feel like they have to think a certain way. I’m just trying to be clever or funny, and soulful.

The famine in the Horn of Africa is something that is really awful, and was under-reported in the news. I didnt see one benefit show or CD for that cause. There were tons for Haiti relief and Japan relief. Those are very worthy causes, but I felt like the famine in Somalia was a much more dire situation. Its just not as sensational as a tsunami or earthquake. Read Less