A look into the inner workings of the residences through the eyes of its artists
In this video, Bells Larsen reflects on his visit to the PHI North residency and delivers an acoustic performance full of sweetness and authenticity, in the intimacy of the nature that welcomed him for his residency. Discover the world and warm voice of this artist.
Each year, the PHI North residency for Quebec musicians welcomes artists for two-week creative retreats in a riverfront loft in the Laurentian Mountains. This residency offers an opportunity to produce, explore, and experiment in a fully immersive, intimate, and peaceful setting within a nature-based recording studio.
We wanted to immortalize these moments by allowing the artists to share their feelings and discoveries. A journey to the heart of the residences through their eyes.
SONG
"Might"
Written by Bells Larsen
Performed by Bells Larsen, James Clayton, Leighton Harrell & Aidan McConnell
PERFORMED BY
Artist in residency
Bells Larsen
Vocals
Bells Larsen
Guitar
Bells Larsen
Drums
Aidan McConnell
Bass
Leighton Harrell
Guitar
James Clayton
ABOUT BELLS LARSEN
Bells Larsen is a Montreal-based songwriter who weaves together cathartic lyrics and memorable melodies in his music. Drawing from experiences of loss, love, and identity, Larsen's songs speak to his life as a trans, queer person. His folk-inspired sound and ardent lyricism slows down the pace of the world around him to create space for contemplation and expression. Traversing between emblematic and actualized narratives, he sees storytelling as a way to make sense of and connect with both the ordinary and unpredictable moments in life.
Good Grief, the 2022 debut from Larsen, was conceptualized during a time of restoration. Healing from the death of his first love, the album bridges the gaps between I, you, and we to narrate an intentional meditation on how we try to grapple with the meaning of loss. The album was soon met with acclaim; The Revue called Larsen "undeniably one of the most exciting young artists to arrive on the scene." Larsen has been featured on the CBC, Exclaim!, and has showcased his music at School Night, POP Montreal, and SXSW.
If I Was, I Am, his new EP out on Next Door Records, embraces stillness. For Larsen, the last few years have involved a lot of movement—this new collection of songs is an attentive, inquisitive recuperation. He returns sonically to a place of familiarity, reminiscent of early bedroom demos, yet the frequency has shifted. With his newly-baritone voice front and centre, accompanied often only by a guitar, Larsen says: "Contrary to what some might think, the point of my transition isn’t about an arrival at a final destination; I don’t know that such a place exists. The only arrival that makes sense to me is the one where I come home to myself.” Grappling with stories of selfhood, change, and homecoming, If I Was, I Am considers the act of finding oneself as a constant state of becoming.
PHI NORTH
PHI North offers musicians the opportunity to produce, explore, experiment, and refine their artistic project.
Selected participants are granted a two-week creative retreat at a riverside lodge in the Laurentian mountains featuring exclusive access to a recording studio with in-house engineer and technical assistance.
Specifically oriented for Quebec-based artists, this residency provides a much needed escape from the everyday in order for participants to completely immerse themselves in their artistry.
AN INITIATIVE MADE POSSIBLE THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF
Discover the 2023 PHI North Residency artists
Explore
Foundation
Marc Quinn
October 5 → January 6, 2008
Gathering over forty recent works, DHC/ART’s inaugural exhibition by conceptual artist Marc Quinn is the largest ever mounted in North America and the artist’s first solo show in Canada
Foundation
Re-enactments
February 22 → May 25, 2008
Six artists present works that in some way critically re-stage films, media spectacles, popular culture and, in one case, private moments of daily life
Foundation
Sophie Calle: Take Care of Yourself
July 4 → October 19, 2008
This poetic and often touching project speaks to us all about our relation to the loved one
Foundation
Christian Marclay: Replay
November 30 → March 29, 2009
DHC/ART Foundation for Contemporary Art is pleased to present the North American premiere of Christian Marclay’s Replay, a major exhibition gathering works in video by the internationally acclaimed artist
Foundation
Michal Rovner: Particles of Reality
May 21 → September 27, 2009
DHC/ART is pleased to present Particles of Reality, the first solo exhibition in Canada of the celebrated Israeli artist Michal Rovner, who divides her time between New York City and a farm in Israel
Foundation
Living Time
October 16 → November 22, 2009
The inaugural DHC Session exhibition, Living Time, brings together selected documentation of renowned Taiwanese-American performance artist Tehching Hsieh’s One Year Performances and the films of young Dutch artist, Guido van der Werve
Foundation
Eija-Liisa Ahtila: Int. Stage-Day
January 29 → May 9, 2010
Eija-Liisa Ahtila’s film installations experiment with narrative storytelling, creating extraordinary tales out of ordinary human experiences
Foundation
Jenny Holzer
June 30 → November 14, 2010
For more than thirty years, Jenny Holzer’s work has paired text and installation to examine personal and social realities