Fantasy Life is a collection of thirteen songs written under the heat of the sun in Los Angeles, California and then recorded during the dead of winter in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It’s about the mundane and the magical, the delusional and the hopeful, the thrilling and the crushing. It’s the promise of spring and then all the snow melts to reveal piles of glittering garbage. It’s watching bright balloons float away into the clouds. It’s a slimy fleshy worm feeding a beautiful garden. A place to escape to but not to live forever. 

There’s a spirit of freedom to this record that was such a big part of the songwriting sessions I had in LA with deadmen. I spent a little over a month in total with them writing this record every day and it’s the most RIGHT in songwriting sessions that I've ever felt. Everything felt so easy and fun and that has never happened to me quite like that before. This freedom allowed me to go to more complex and comfortable places with my voice and in my lyrics than I have in the past. I feel like I’ve grown so much in my sound and my confidence in the last few years and I know that reflects in this record.
-Begonia

So High

Album Credits

    • Produced by deadmen

    • Mixed by Matt Peters

    • Mastered by Kristian Montano

    • All lyrics by Alexa Dirks (Begonia)

    • All songs written by Alexa Dirks (Begonia), Matt Peters, and Matthew Schellenberg.

    • Life of the Party written by Alexa Dirks (Begonia), Matt Peters, Matthew Schellenberg, and Marcus Paquin

    • All vocals performed by Alexa Dirks

    • All live drums performed by Michael Jordan

    • All orchestral arrangements by deadmen

    • All strings performed by the Prairie Sky String Quartet

    • All instruments performed by Matt Peters and Matt Schellenberg with the exception of:

    • Upright bass on tracks 1 and 4 by John Mark Baron

    • Electric bass on tracks 5, 8, 9, and 10 by John Mark Baron

    • Additional piano on track 13 by Graham Leaver

    • Hums on track 6 by Seth Woodyard

    • Electric guitar on track 8 by Joey Landreth

    • Violin on tracks 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, and 13 by Chris Antsey

    • Violin on tracks 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, and 13 by Elation Pauls

    • Viola on tracks 2, 3, 11, 12, and 13 by Élise Lavallée

    • Cello on tracks 2, 3, 6, 7, and 13 by Alyssa Ramsay

    • Tuba on track 7, 11 and 13 by Justin Hickmott

    • Trombone on tracks 3 and 11 by Keith Dyrda

    • Euphonium on tracks 11 and 13 by Keith Dyrda

    • Harp on tracks 1, 2, 8, 12 and 13 by Charlene Chin

    • Sax on track  2 by Olivier Macharia

    • Choir on track 12 by John Mark Baron, Matt Peters, Matthew Schellenberg, and Alexa Dirks

    • Recorded at Effie Street Studios in Los Angeles, CA, and No Fun Club in Winnipeg, MB

    • Set up/engineering support by Riley Hill (No Fun Club)

    • Pedal Fiddler by Binky Pinder

    • BTS by Seth Woodyard

    • Engineered by Matt Peters and Matthew Schellenberg

    • Album design and layout by Rebekah Heppner

    • Original photos by Calvin Lee Joseph

    • Set design by Seth Woodyard

    • Makeup by Rachel Lynne Jones

    • Hair by Kitty Bernes

    • Wardrobe by Adrianne Hill

About Begonia

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About Begonia 〰️

Begonia is your best friend. She’s the whimsical fairy on your shoulder making you feel all at once comfortable to be yourself while simultaneously making you think wtf is this fairy doing here and what is she wearing. With a voice that compels you to feel everything deeper, she sings like she’s calling you into her world. Sure, on the surface it may simply look like a world overtaken by flowers, colour and lightness but go deeper and it’s also a world that doesn’t shy away from the dark. It’s a world that invites you to be exactly who you are without shame. Her voice is like a delicate sandpaper with iridescent grit. Her lyrics will make you laugh and cry all within the span of a single phrase. A charm and presence that evokes some of the greatest entertainers of the past but no matter the size of the stage you always feel like you are hearing a secret that is especially for you. Begonia has many stories to tell, many iterations of life to walk you through, and she takes her fans on the journey with a stumbling grace and an uncanny wit. A true sight to behold, sometimes clunky but always beautifully and refreshingly entertaining. Begonia crafts some of the most honest pop music out there. With ‘Fantasy Life’, she's simply at the top of her game. There’s more risk, more complex vocals, more pop diva mania, more feeling, more truth, and more fantasy.

Begonia, the stage name of Winnipeg entertainer Alexa Dirks, launched her solo career in 2017 with the EP "Lady in Mind," featuring the #1 CBC Radio single "Juniper." Her critically acclaimed full-length albums "Fear" (2019) and "Powder Blue" (2023) have earned her two JUNO Award nominations and two Polaris Music Prize nominations. Recognized by NPR as an "Artist You Need to Know," Begonia is celebrated by her core fans for her powerful live performances, which Noisey describes as “obliterating the misery from this world one live performance at a time." Her captivating stage presence has opened doors for her to perform at clubs, theatres, and festivals globally, connecting with audiences worldwide.

shows

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shows 〰️

fan sign up

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fan sign up 〰️

teammates

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teammates 〰️

MANAGEMENT
Mighty Cypress

AGENCY - CANADA
Paquin

AGENCY - USA
Reliant

Publishing
Birthday Cake

TV & FILM SYNC
Terrorbird

PUBLICITY
Killbeat

LABEL
Birthday Cake

RADIO
Vitriol

DISTRIBUTOR
Secretly