andPOP » Bif Naked

Bif Naked Fulfills Promise To Fans, New Album Out May 5

Joelle Tomlinson — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:38:17 +0000

Bif Naked: the quintessential tough girl, a rocker-chic legend with the colorful sleeves to prove it. Personally, I expected a woman with flinty attitude, an intimidating squint and perfected sneer, traits that typically accompany the genre that Naked is immersed in. Instead, I was greeted with is a larger-than-life, genuinely sincere personality in a small package.

The recent pixie-cut compliments her defined features, creating emphasis on her intensely observant eyes and quick smile. Naked’s an animated character, a chronic hand-talker with a subtle wit that is almost unnoticeable.

Behind this wise-cracking front is a remarkably strong woman who has triumphed over her fair share of obstacles. Adopted by American missionaries in India, Naked eventually settled in Winnipeg and went to university there to study theatre. She’s always been frank about her bisexuality, her strict health habits as a “straight-edge” and a difficult abortion. In January 2008, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

And yet she still manages to keep it real.

She loves her dog Nicholas, runs errands, picks up groceries and goes to the office like any regular hardworking schmuck. Well, a schmuck that wakes up at four a.m.

“I get up usually around four, and you know, do some work and feed Nicholas really early. He gets up with me, and then he goes back to bed. Then I get in the shower and have some coffee and a couple bananas, then we go out the door. I walk Nicholas, then I go to the gym. After that I run my errands, and then off to the office or the studio.”

It’s exhausting to read, let alone comprehend that she juggled this though her grapple with cancer. “Having breast cancer and going through treatments during recording wasn’t really the biggest challenge,” admits Naked. “It was just so annoying for me because I wanted to be consistent in attending my vocal sessions.”

“Recording during treatment was difficult, because sometimes your lymph glands swell up, some days they don’t and some days you don’t feel like you can get out of bed. You just can’t really predict it. Every day is different, and every chemo is different.”

Naked’s new album, coming out on May 5 this year, is titled “The Promise.” She reflects on the different interpretations of the title, concluding that “promise is a word I really liked. Just because of what it could mean to different people, and for some people it’s something that was broken. And to others, it’s something that you keep. I guess I just made a promise that I was going to get a record out for my fans, and that’s what it is.”

She did keep her promise, and when she hears that she is considered an inspiration to her fans and listeners alike, Naked simply replies with “well they inspire me too.”

Naked took six months to record the album, a tad bit longer than her average accelerated rate. She collaborated with musician, writer and producer Jason Darr for about half the songs in “The Promise,” and attests a lot of the new unique sound to his influence.

“My favorite part was working with Jason for sure,” says Naked. “I’ve never written with him before and I really enjoyed it. It was like finally finding a collaborative mind that we thought the same way about melody, and we thought the same way about the complexities of lyrics. It was a really great process. He’s a huge part of the album, and he produced the whole thing.”

Fans can look forward to another strong compilation of songs, in which Naked follows her tradition of tackling tough issues that emerge through the lyrics. The single, “Fuck You 2,” is an angry song in which Naked expresses the last stage of a breakup. “It’s basically a song about unrequited love. Once you get past the point of being heartbroken, it’s your big ‘hey, wait a minute’ moment. All of us can relate to that feeling,” says Naked.

“I have a different favorite every day. ‘Blue Jay’ reminds me of Anastasia (her 10-year-old bichon that recently passed away), and I really like ‘Crash and Burn.’ Jason made me sing lower than I’ve ever sang before, so it doesn’t sound like me, to me. I like that about it, it’s the most interesting.”

Naked has put a notable amount of work into this album. “It was a great process,” she emphasizes. “Hopefully I’ve pushed myself farther as a songwriter and as a vocalist.”

What’s next on Naked’s ever-full plate?

“I imagine like usual, when we put a record out somewhere, we will put our a tour to support it.” Canadian fans can anticipate seeing the petite rocker grace their stages, because Naked’s favorite place to tour is where she was raised. “I cut my teeth touring in Canada,” she smiles. “So it will always hold a place in my heart.”

Bif Naked’s ‘Promises’

Jennifer Brooks — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 14:03:58 +0000

We all know Bif Naked as a tough as nails punk rocker chick who creates in your face rock anthems with a side of sweetness.

Bif’s been through a lot these last few years, including being diagnosed with breast cancer and recording a new album entitled ‘Promises’ while simultaneously going through 13 months of chemo and radiation therapy.

Bif sure is one tough lady. The album is set to be released on May, 5th, 2009 and Bif took to her official blog to let the world know that she is a fighter. “I had planned to release a record in 2009 and it is not in my being to let ANYTHING stop me,” she writes.

“I was determined to make this new record if it was the last thing I did” says Bif, who is now strong, healthy and inspired. “I wrote songs from my bed. When it was time to record, the studio was moved so it was a block up the street from my condo…all I had to do was to force myself to walk up the hill, with my bald head and in my pyjamas — like Quasimodo. The headphones would constantly slip off my shiny head! Some days were good and some days were horrific. Sometimes I couldn’t do a thing, other days I could only sing for an hour, and then crawl home to my bed. We took it day by day.”

The first single entitled “Sick” is said to be a powerful song with a universal theme. “Performing is my passion. I owe it to myself and to my fans to keep evolving and to keep challenging myself and I just can’t wait to rock.”

Bif Naked Diagnosed With Breast Cancer

Eva Lam — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 23:02:31 +0000

Canadian rocker Bif Naked has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

The singer, 36, broke the news of her diagnosis Sunday on George Stroumboulopoulos’ radio show. The announcement comes just three months after her highly-publicized wedding to Vancouver Sun sports writer, Ian Walker.

Naked, whose real named is Beth Torbert, says she wants to remind women of the importance of breast-self-examination.

Her manager Peter Karroll said the singer discovered the lump in her breast during self-examination shortly before Christmas.

She is scheduled to undergo a lumpectomy this week, followed by chemotherapy.

“It’s serious enough for [doctors] to escalate all of their medical treatments,” Karroll said. “It’s not the worst and it’s not the easiest [level of cancer]. It’s stage 2 in that she’s getting some extensive surgery, a lumpectomy, and they’re going into her lymph nodes in one arm. The cancer is an aggressive form.”

Naked is known for leading a healthy lifestyle that involves no smoking, a strict fitness regimen and a vegan raw food diet.

“She thought she was indestructible, given her lifestyle, so she’s really concerned that other women do the checks,” Karroll said.

Naked, who has the word “survivor” tattooed on her arm, says she will take things “one day at a time” and keep up a positive attitude.

“I have never been one to give up when an obstacle is placed in front of me. I am in the fight of my life and I’m lucky to have the support of my husband Ian, and many friends, and family members.

“With the help of my BodogMusic family I plan to continue working on these recording projects in between the cancer treatments and come out the other side with two great albums and a clean bill of health.

“I’m glad it’s me and not my mom,” she said. “I’m glad it’s me and not my sister; I’m glad it’s me and not any of my friends. I am ready for the fight.”

Naked is a platinum-selling Juno Award winner, known for hit songs like “Daddy’s Getting Married” and “I Love Myself Today.”

She is currently working on her sixth album, the follow-up to 2005’s “Superbeautifulmonster,” as well as another recording project, “Jakkarta,” with heavy metal guitarist La Machina.

Bif Naked’s White Wedding

andPOP Staff — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 16:05:02 +0000

You could call it a moment of weakness, as Bif Naked got married in a surprisingly traditional ceremony this past weekend.

Naked, whose real name is Beth Torbert, wore a white dress that fell to the floor in several tiers. Adornments around the veil and the reception at an Indian restaurant paid respect to her heritage, as she was born in New Delhi.

Her dashing groom is Ian Walker, a sports writer with the Vancouver Sun.

More than 100 family and friends attended the Vancouver wedding at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church.

The newlyweds celebrated their nuptials by getting tattoos together. Naked inked Walker’s signature on her skin, and Walked planted a stylized “B” on his hip.

Bif Naked Gets Hitched On the West Coast

andPOP Staff — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 15:31:44 +0000

Rocker Bif Naked shed a tear on Saturday as she and now-husband Ian Walker exchanged wedding vows in St. Andrews Wesley United Church in Vancouver.

After dating just over a year, the couple made things official in a 30-minute ceremony where the Winnipeg-raised singer wore a cream coloured mini-dress and a pink veil. The reception was later held at an Indian restaurant in downtown Vancouver.

Although these are nuptials number two for Bif, she tells CBC that Walker is the real deal. “Ian, he was just like so positive all the time, always very, very positive, very polite,” she said of her sports journalist hubby, “he melted my heart, he just did.”