Interview: Toronto’s Brodie Christ Embraces Reinvention and Self-Discovery on Uplifting Alternative Country Track “16 & 9 Lives”

Toronto songwriter Brodie Christ shares “16 & 9 Lives,” an uplifting and defiant alternative Canadiana single that questions the stories we inherit, repeat, and use to define ourselves. Built around warm acoustic instrumentation, conversational lyricism, and a reflective country-tinged sound, the track explores memory, identity, and the freedom that comes from realizing we are not bound to the versions of ourselves we once believed were permanent.

At its core, “16 & 9 Lives” examines the unreliable narratives we create about our own past. The song reflects on how memories are shaped by the moments when we need them most, and how the stories we tell about who we were can become limiting if we allow them to define who we are now.

“Your memories betray you,” Brodie explains. “You were not as kind, as cool, as embarrassing, as wild, or as ugly as you thought you were.”

The song found its meaning after an unexpected moment of reflection at Brodie’s high school reunion. Returning to a place filled with old stories and familiar faces, he found himself reconsidering how people hold onto the past.

“Stories were recounted to me over that weekend – some flattering, some embarrassing, some prideful,” he shares. “All of them were lies, or at best exaggerations. I decided I wasn’t interested in being defined by any of it, and it was incredibly liberating.”

That realization became the emotional foundation of “16 & 9 Lives.” The title itself represents the many versions of ourselves we carry throughout life. 16 represents a specific moment in time when memories can become deeply tied to identity, while 9 lives symbolizes the countless different versions of ourselves we experience along the way.

“I’ve had at least 9 lives and am hoping for 9 more,” Brodie explains. “The number isn’t important, but the idea that you aren’t tethered to any of them.”

The session features Steve Dawson on guitar and pedal steel, Steve O’Connor on keyboards, John Dymond on bass, and Gary Craig on drums. “Sometimes you get lucky with a group of people and things just feel good,” Brodie says. “It didn’t hurt that the band was full of experienced fellows without egos.”

What did you enjoy most about the creation of this new release?
I really love the immediacy of the recording. I didn’t know the band and we had a very short window to record – literally an hour. There was no discussion of the vision or the sound. It was all done by feel, and within a few moments of starting to play, I could tell that it was natural and genuine. It illustrated the value of preparing. We tended the soil and fertilized so when the seed was placed in the ground, there was nothing to do but wait. This was a project that felt less “built” and more grown.

Share a nugget of advice that has resonated with you most over the years.
Effort matters. Whatever you’re doing, put your back into it and don’t pull your punches.

Who would be your dream artist/band to co-headline a tour with?
Frederick Squire was my best friend in kindergarten and we played in our first band together. We don’t live close these days so long phone calls are what keep us connected. I’d love to tour with him where we play drums for each other and also try to make up stand-up comedy routines on the spot. Check out “Sweetest May” and “Calling It Quits.”

What sets your music apart from others in your genre?
I’m not so much into the comparison game, but if I must, I compare myself to my dad. If we had played in a band, (we didn’t – he only played clarinet in high school), my whimsical nature would have made him crazy. He was a man of preparation and organization and I am a man that likes to go for walks wherever the wind blows me. I think we appreciated those things about each other, even if we didn’t understand them. Is that a genre?

Tell us what your favourite song is at the moment and why.
The opening track from Charlotte Cornfield’s latest record, “Before” paints a picture for me of a messy love, without fantasy. It presents a love with a real person, both flawed and accepted. Very beautiful.