Hailing from Victoria, British Columbia in Canada, Casey van Wensem is a composer and multi-instrumentalist who crafts cinematic instrumental music as The Bird's Companion. A lifelong musician, Casey began taking piano lessons in elementary school, but his true passion was always in creating original compositions rather than following a more traditional path. Over the years he has honed his craft, writing and recording music both as a solo artist and as a member of various folk and rock bands.

The creative process tends to start with piano or guitar, building intricate layers of sound that evolve naturally. Some works are meticulously developed over time, while others emerge spontaneously through improvisation. Casey cites minimalist composers such as Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and Arvo Pärt as key influences, as well as contemporary artists such as Nils Frahm and Hauschka. His sound as The Bird's Companion draws on inspiration from Modern Classical music whilst also enjoying the expansive sounds of instrumental guitar bands such as Explosions in the Sky and Mogwai. This equates to a fascinating and beautiful sound, with releases on 1631 Recordings, Whitelabrecs and a selection of self-released works.