Midnight in the Woods with Bonez Poley

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Canadian comedy has always produced beloved comedic rebels and outliers. Whether it was Dan Aykroyd of the 70’s or Jim Carrey and Tom Green of the 90’s.There is a cultural vein that creates an answer to America’s sweetheart. This is playing out now with the rise of Taylor Tomlinson, while Canada has exported the sardonic and hyper focused Sophie Buddle and the unapologetic force of nature that is Steph Tolev- both on their rise as comics respectively.

Meanwhile in Toronto, there is Bonez Poley.

An enigmatic punk front woman turned comedian who is uniting scenes and fusing styles, Bonez is preparing for the release of her latest special and album, Inflammable Material, and is poised for that moment comics have 10 years in where things really start to happen.

Fresh off opening for Sam Tallent, it’s shortly after 10pm on a beautiful spring night and Bonez is getting ready to shoot the cover for Inflammable Material. Her tall slim frame topped with a black and blonde wavy mullet darts around an immaculate 2nd floor apartment in Toronto’s west end. Vintage furniture, plants, and an expansive collection of books, records, and comics of varying topics and genres are displayed on high bookcases with museum level curation. On the floor, there is a small soothing fountain and a yoga mat with a meditation cushion.

The plan for tonight is a moonlight shoot at a bonfire an hour away from the city with director Tyler Shazma- another emerging punk crossover talent who was part of the team behind the cult Bell media comedy hit This is The Thing. The bags piled up at the door look more like a weekend trip than a photoshoot. But Bonez has turned her focus to a complicated skincare routine, as she reflects on her journey from music to comedy.

“I think when I was writing music, my intention was to focus on discussing serious matters. I wanted to comment on social and political issues, and entertain philosophical ideas. And I did do that. But because I’m such an inherently silly person, the joker in me couldn’t help shining through. So I’d say my musical endeavors wound up ultimately being equal parts silly and political. With comedy, my approach is almost the opposite. My intention is to just be funny and have fun. But because I’m an inherently political person, my ethics wind up seeping into it. But they do in a way I’m told (and I’m glad) doesn’t come off as preachy. The prime directive of comedy is of course to have fun.”

“My punk ethics have informed not only my writing, but definitely my approach to my career. I wasn’t getting enough stage time while living in St. Catharines, so I created my own stage. And when it came time to release an album, I debated asking labels but ultimately decided that I’d rather have complete control. It’s been a lot of work, but I’m glad I did it my way!”

As panic sets in that Shazma will be left waiting, Bonez emerges from the hall clad in pleather, while debating the inclusion and declaring the significance of a very large earring. After everything is checked and double-checked, the drive to the shoot begins and as Toronto fades to the light of the full moon, Bonez seems to relax. Large blue eyes gazing out the window and simultaneously her own reflection, when asked if she considers herself a complicated person.

“I think I’m a simple person in that I’m straightforward. I know who I am and what I want and need, and I express these things clearly. I feel like other people are complicated when they try to make you guess this stuff. I don’t play games. I’m complex in the sense that I’m multi-faceted. I’ve led a very storied life, and the trials I’ve faced have definitely shaped me in an array of interesting ways. I think there are abounding sides to me and some of them look like completely different people. But they’re all genuine aspects of my truth. This arrives in my comedy where I’m all over the map- stylistically and in subject matter. But the thread that ties it all together is that it’s all authentically me.”

Arriving at the shoot, a perfectly selected group of trees sit atop a winding rocky path and a small fire is built. Shazma rushes around and a lighting concept with blues and purples reminiscent of an 80’s horror movie emerges with a full moon in complete cooperation. Bonez takes her place in front of the fire and her expression is anything but contrived. Taking it in, she seeks subtle direction from Shazma, holding a notebook, shifting slightly, but lost in reverence to the fire.

The concept of a shot of her walking away from the fire is debated…”I don’t want people to think I would ever leave a fire unattended. That’s not me.”

A few more shots are taken and the fire dies down and creates a natural conclusion to the shoot.

Walking through the woods on an unseasonably lucky warm night, Bonez is pleased with the evening and reflects on her current approach to the craft of writing.

“I don’t tend to plan what to write. I let ideas flow out of me, and then once I’ve written something, that’s when I’ll start analyzing it and breaking it apart. So I don’t have a super clear direction of where I will go. That said, a lot of my newer material is more physical and theatrical and I’m really enjoying that. So I could see myself continuing in that direction. I’m also very drawn to sketch so it’s likely I’ll head that way at some point too.”

As the wee hours of the morning approach, Bonez returns to Toronto and immediately takes stock of what needs to be done before the album’s release. The album, in addition to streaming, will be released on gold coloured cassette tapes with a B side of her former band’s record. These are being individually made by a friend from a band she used to tour with. All the moving parts of the album release and release show are overseen by Bonez in an impressive DIY multitasking marathon.

Bonez is more than qualified. A totally unique yet relatable talent, the following she has amassed so far truly engages and sees themselves in her comedy and in many ways, in her. The line about being mean as a comic is vivid and real in her work.

“I hope my absurdist bits bring out the silly in people and remind them to have fun. And I hope my more vulnerable material helps others to feel seen. I want them to see this total freak up there shining and realize that they can shine in their weirdness too.”

Inflammable Material by Bonez Poley is available now on iTunes, Youtube, and Bandcamp. And if you want a tape in Toronto… ask a punk.

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