David Hodges, hip-hop producer, youth worker, and Director of N'we Jinan, talks to RPM about the growth of the N'we Jinan project and Skicin GenerationVol.4, with music produced from four communities of the Wabanaki Confederacy, dropping August 12.
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Guelph-based rock band WHOOP-Szo can be described in many ways, but it's the feel of their sound that cannot be contained within one genre. The Grunge/Shoegaze/Folk/Art-Rock group have just come off their summer tour, and Anishinaabe frontman Adam Sturgeon (Dzhkon Zibi - Antler River/Chippewa of the Thames) talks with RPM about what it's like for an Indigenous artist such as himself to find a Nish audience within their niche.
How has your touring been going? We’ve been super lucky to have played a ton of really great festivals the last couple of years and are looking forward to what is next. We’re not gonna mention too much on this end quite yet!
How did you guys start out as a band? How long have you been making music? The band started with myself and Kirsten Palm, a Finnish non-native who has been a welcome addition to the communities she has worked with. We started over a common desire to explore our healing relationships… we met because both of our parents were in wellness programs recovering from drug and alcohol abuse and we recognized our shared family history and how it had impacted us both in similar and differing ways. Kirsten’s family were punk rockers and mine athletes so there were a lot of funny differences despite the chaos of their addictions. We also recognized our own vulnerability but found strength in each other which has remained a huge driving force for our band. How did your culture influence the music you make? Both my father and my aunt have instilled a huge influence on myself personally and helped maintain our Indigenous teachings since I was very young. Our healing journey is so influenced by our “culture”, or as I like to say and my teachers like to say "our way of life." It simply is who I am so it seeps into absolutely everything I do be it very “traditional” or “modern", like metal music.
What influences your style of music? Both my writing and Kirsten’s is influenced by our surroundings and the emotional attachment we have to it. Sometimes it is easier to express things through sound over words so we’ve added a lot of members and collaborators along the way to help shape the overall vibe of what we are putting down. So often we are referenced as political, however we don’t see it that way, we follow our teachings and the words follow that.
From your experience, what's the scene like for a Nish grunge/shoegaze/folk band such as yourselves? What is your fan following like? Our fans are most definitely white, for the most part but it’s very very common that those marginalized groups present at our shows gravitate towards our band. There aren’t a ton of other grunging Nish out there, but I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some Indigenous folk along the way. We talk about this and some of us are thinking of forming some kind of coalition or whatever, we don’t know yet, but I’m very thankful for those conversations along the way. People like Kayla Stevens from Crossed Wires and Dan from Dri Hiev, Coco from Construction and Destruction. There are others, but our voices are still shy. We all have a similar history and we feel a bit different than the rest of the scene. That said, we are very fortunate to make it known that we play in safe spaces, we drift away from bar culture and our audience is very inspired and intrigued by our beliefs… So that is a start. Your last full album was released two years ago, and a single released last year. Do you have plans to release new music anytime in the near future? We’re working away on new material and have a bunch of collaborations and such in the works. It seems as though you are either touring or putting out music. We have basically been on the road the last two years touring and truly enjoying that momentum but are anxious to show the world what we have up our sleeves.
For more on WHOOP-Szo visit: thenoisymountain.bandcamp.com and SoundCloud.
Aboriginal Music Manitoba continues to highlight incredible Indigenous music and performance at the 8th annual Aboriginal Music Week. This year, the festival expects more than 9,000 people to attend, which would make it AMW's biggest turnout to date.
Packed with block parties, concerts, networking events, youth workshops, picnics, and lunch hour shows, AMW continues to do what it does best: build community and support great music.
The week officially begins with a sweat lodge ceremony for visiting artists, local performers, and festival producers on August 8th, and AMW's public programming kicks off August 9th with the first of four free, lunch hour concerts at the Winnipeg Art Gallery's Rooftop Sculpture Garden.
The lunch hour concerts, presented by Digital Drum, will feature performances by Maliseet operatic singer Jeremy Dutcher, Pitjantjatjara singer/songwriter Frank Yamma, Metis neo-soul singer David Morin, and Cree hip hop emcee Eekwol.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao6_O3iX3o8
JUNO Award-winning artists Boogat and Digging Roots are on board for performances at the Ka Ni Kanichihk Block Party presented by NCI FM on August 9th.
RPM will also be partnering with Aboriginal Music Week again this year. We will be presenting the Spence Neighbourhood Block Party on August 1oth, featuring performances by Digging Roots, Frank Yamma, Jeremy Dutcher, Boogey The Beat, and Rylee Sandberg.
Tracy Bone will headline the Turtle Island Block Party presented by Teekca's Aboriginal Boutique on August 11; Jade Turner, Ila Barker, and Ashley Robertson will anchor the AMW Stage presented by NOW Country at Austin Street Festival on August 12; and, country music legend Ray St. Germain will entertain audiences at the AMW Stage presented by TD at Picnic in the Park on August 13.
The evenings of August 10 and 11 will be dedicate to community building for the performers and MuchFACT and TD are sponsoring networking dinners to give the artists a chance to connect, build business relationships, and discuss the future of Aboriginal music. The Open Mic presented by MB Live on August 12, which is open to the public, will give the group a third opportunity to build rapport and extend their networks to include the local music community.
This year's festival looks to be another expression of #IndigenousExcellence and a highlight of an already packed summer of Indigenous music culture.
See you there!
AMW at Lunch presented by Digital Drum Jeremy Dutcher Winnipeg Art Gallery, Rooftop Sculpture Garden, 300 Memorial Boulevard Tuesday, August 9, 2016 12 p.m. -1 p.m. Free | All ages
Ka Ni Kanichihk Block Party presented by NCI FM Leonard Sumner, Boogat, Nikki Komaksiutiksak, Rhonda Head, Four Sacred Winds, and special guests Harriet Street, between McDermot Avenue and Bannatyne Avenue Tuesday, August 9, 2016 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. Free | All ages Free BBQ, activity stations for kids, bring lawn chairs Community Partner: Ka Ni Kanichihk
AMW at Lunch presented by Digital Drum Frank Yamma Winnipeg Art Gallery, Rooftop Sculpture Garden, 300 Memorial Boulevard Wednesday, August 10, 2016 12 p.m. -1 p.m. Free | All ages
Spence Neighbourhood Block Party presented by RPM.FM Digging Roots, Frank Yamma, Jeremy Dutcher, Boogey The Beat, Rylee Sandberg Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre, 430 Langside Street Wednesday, August 10, 2016 2 p.m. - 7 p.m. Free | All ages Free BBQ, activity stations for kids, bring lawn chairs Community Partner: Spence Neighbourhood Association
Networking Dinner presented by TD Wednesday, August 10, 2016 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. Performers and invited guests only RSVP Req'd
AMW at Lunch presented by Digital Drum David Morin Winnipeg Art Gallery, Rooftop Sculpture Garden, 300 Memorial Boulevard Thursday, August 11, 2016 12 p.m. -1 p.m. Free | All ages
Turtle Island Block Party presented by Teeka’s Aboriginal Boutique Tracy Bone, Eekwol, Double The Trouble, Mary Mahler, Loud Thunder Singers Turtle Island Community Centre, 445 King Street Thursday, August 11, 2016 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. Free | All ages Free BBQ, activity stations for kids, bring lawn chairs Community Partner: Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre
Networking Dinner presented by MuchFACT Thursday, August 11, 2016 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. Performers and invited guests only RSVP Req'd
AMW at Lunch presented by Digital Drum Eekwol Winnipeg Art Gallery, Rooftop Sculpture Garden, 300 Memorial Boulevard Friday, August 12, 2016 12 p.m. -1 p.m. Free | All ages
AMW Stage presented by NOW Country at Austin Street Festival Jade Turner, Ila Barker, Ashley Robertson, David Morin, Tara Williamson, Kristi Lane Sinclair, Billy Simard, Buffalo Gals, special guests Austin Street, between Euclid Avenue and Selkirk Avenue Friday, August 12, 2016 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. Free | All ages Free BBQ, activity stations for kids, bring lawn chairs
Community Partner: North Point Douglas Women's Centre Open Mic presented by MB Live Hosted by MJ Dandeneau and friends Le Garage Café, 166 Provencher Boulevard Friday, August 12, 2016 9 p.m. - 1 a.m. $5 tickets | 18+ I.D. Req'd Email bhuson@belowthebasement.ca to sign up in advance Bring your own instruments Drum kit, keyboard, one guitar amp, and one bass amp on site
AMW Stage presented by TD at Picnic in the Park Ray St. Germain, Renee Lamoureux, Shanley Spence, Ivan Spence & Burntwood Band, Bob Chartrand, special guests St. John's Park, Main Street and Mountain Avenue Saturday, August 13, 2016 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Free | All ages Free BBQ, activity stations for kids, bring lawn chairs Community Partner: North End Community Renewal Corporation
Visit aboriginalmusicweek.ca for more information about the festival and keep updated at RPM.fm for more AMW content in the coming weeks.
First off, let's start with "Change the World." What was it like to collaborate with Gift of Gab and how did that come about?
It started when I went on tour with him in 2014. We did a short run of shows in the 4 corners area, and after a show in Durango a fan asked us "when is a Gift of Gab and Wake song dropping?" He looked at me and said we should do that, so I approached about him last year and sent a beat to him. He's a really cool dude, definitely deserving of all the success and praise.
Who else did you work with for Malala?
I usually don't have many rap features on my albums, unless it really fits into my vision for the final product. Mainly I have a few vocalists, musicians and producers involved. I got Def-i on there, that's my best friend we always make music together. The majority of the album is produced by SmokeM2DG. He's extremely gifted with the beats. I really love working with him, I always have these long random descriptive ideas of beats and song concepts I send him, and usually he can bring to life and make sense out them. I may have one more feature that I can't talk about just yet.
When will that album drop?
It drops August 24th, on my moms birthday! [Wake professes he is a momma’s boy]
What kind of themes are you working with in terms of lyrical content in Malala?
I don't want to give away everything, but I feel like I reached pretty deep down the rabbit hole on this one. I discuss youth incarceration, homelessness, environmental issues, and spiritual enlightenment. There's a lot about personal growth; my experiences with depression/anxiety and the human condition. A few more lighthearted songs as well, some songs to try and motivate people to be true to themselves, and be proud of they are no matter what boxes or boundaries they don't fit in.
How has Malala shown your growth as an artist since your last album?
I'm at a better point in my life right where I've found more understanding on how to open myself up to these creative moments. Life is a trip, literally a journey and I'm just expanding in various ways in life that integrate with the advancement of this music. I think sometimes we know things, have ideas and concepts in our head, but it takes a while for the full depth of them to become realized. I'm just thankful every day, every second, and it's really allowed me to climb out of some tough years, be able to see clearly and feel more alive.
STREAM: "Change The World" ft. Gift of Gab here:
Back in March, the Cross Lake First Nation in Manitoba declared a state of emergency after seeing six suicides in the community within two months and 140 attempts within two weeks prior.
While the community sought out help from the provincial and federal governments, a group of artists from across Manitoba took it upon themselves to intervene in the best way they knew how – by sharing their gifts with the local Pimicikamak Cree Nation youth, and empowering them to explore and use gifts of their own.
“It was all forms, from painting to writing, recording, performing and dance to video art,” said Leonard Sumner, who helped pool together funds along with the other artists to get to Cross Lake as urgently as possible. “We went on their spring break and got the word out. Young people showed up and we all started working together on ideas.”
Leonard did lyrics and recording workshops with Charlie Fettah of Winnipeg's Most and collaborated with Erica Daniels and her film workshop kids in creating a music video. The whole team of artists played a vital role in the project, including Wab Kinew who helped workshop the youth on their second day in the studio that they had set up in a classroom.“We helped them from start to finish. Some were ready to go, some were a little shy. Everyone was supportive of each other and they applauded and encouraged dope lines from each other. There was a creative energy in the room that enveloped everyone who came through.”
“It was really cool because we picked the 'Pitch Black' beat, which was done by Boogey [the Beat] and then me and Leonard started some of the writing and they seemed pretty receptive to the understanding of song structure”, said Charlie, who along with Leonard, oversaw the work the youth came up with on their own and then guided them through the process of creating the song and shooting the music video in a span of only 2 days.
“They did a really good fucking job! It's dark, but that’s where they were in their heads and wanted to express themselves like that. It was really their own creation. Me and Leonard started with the hook and kind of showed them how to make it catchier, to make it something people can remember, and they kind of took that and ran with it.”
“One of the artists explained to me that in the past year he had lost three of this family and two really good friends to suicide, and I was completely floored," says Charlie, who remains in contact with the group. "Even now I keep up with them on Facebook and they consistently hit me up and let me know they’re writing more, even the ones who didn’t have much experience writing before. It’s good because now they have a better way to deal with those feelings. So it was really inspiring to see them through that.”
“We really have seen a lot of change in the youth. They’ve been continuing writing music for themselves,"says Kendall, a youth counsellor in Cross Lake who facilitated the workshops at the community school. "The group that made Pitch Black have all been working together and they’re still doing that now. The experience they had really helped them express their feelings through music. There are other youth that didn’t come out that saw the video and thought 'Hey, I could do this!’ so it’s just getting them out there, and getting them more involved in the community and music."
“The arts are empowering. We don’t need any more victims, we need to build upon their resilience and strengthen our identities. Arts can play a big role in that,” said Leonard.
“I believe projects like this are key in helping our youth. Multimedia gives them the opportunity to express themselves in a creative and artistic way," said Erica. "I have been doing this work for many years and I have seen many youth change their lives around and grow as strong individuals. This work is so important and I wish there were music and film programs in each community because I know that it can help young people heal. I can tell the youth are so proud of their song and video and I feel that it has inspired them to be leaders in their community and keep working hard to have their voices heard.”
See what happens when creative minds come together to give voice for a community in hardship.
This is "Pitch Black" featuring Jonny Jesus, Skinny-Gee, Errol Mckay, Tyrese CJ Scott, Chrisduut Bailey, Brent Fruit Loops Richards and ViciouZKidd:
“We started getting our ideas out and it’s like we just started created this whirlwind of thoughts which slowly turned into action and looking at us today, that’s become our healing tool,” Travis Adrian Hebert aka Heebz the Earthchild (Cree/Métis) says of Mob Bounce’s beginnings.
“What I feel about my lyrical content is that it’s the spirit materializing a message through me. Part of my intent with that is that it connects with other people," said Craig Frank Edes aka The Northwest Kid (Hungarian/Scottish/Irish and Gitxsan). "Being aware its like you understand your surroundings and the energy around you and you have the opportunity to create life.”
Like many Indigenous youth, Travis and Craig grew up with a loss of their cultural identity, but discovered that hip-hop was the vehicle in which they were meant to share their experience and spread knowledge to others who have gone through similar experiences.
“I feel like our music is good for the youth and for the people who need healing in the sense that we bring terminology to that social awareness," says Craig. "Eventually there’s just layers and layers that will peel apart and it creates a lot of healing for the youth who had to experience a lot of the same things say me and Travis experienced in our communities."
For more Mob Bounce visit: facebook.com/mobbounce
How did it feel to break out new material at an event like the Indigenous Arts Festival?
It's so refreshing and gives me a great sense of pride to be a part of these big events that headline so many other amazing Indigenous artists. It's inspiring to see my people being given these types of platforms to perform and showcase what they love!
Is it your first album release?
Technically yes, this is my first album with all original pieces of work. I had previously released a mixtape in 2013 entitled From Scratch, but that was more of a showcase project. Diary of a Mad Red Woman is definitely more organically Hip Hop.
Who did you work with on this album?
I was fortunate enough to have worked with an array of talented beat-makers and producers from all over! Shelby Sappier aka Beaatz, being 1/4 of the City Natives crew from New Brunswick, blessed me with the production for "Start Over"; PC Beats from the UK produced "Dreams"; Justin Knight aka Mils from here in Saskatchewan produced "First Entry"; Doc Blaze from Florida produced "Kill H.E.R." and "Golden" which also features vocals by the amazingly talented Sierra Jamerson from Edmonton. All the mixing and mastering was done by my talented producer Jon Cennon at the Quality Control Project Studio here in Saskatoon. I am really excited about how everything fell into place, and hope it reaches people well.
What inspired your work in this project?
I was definitely inspired by my good friend and mentor Lindsay Knight aka Eekwol. She has been a constant positive reminder to stay true to myself when it comes to my art. I had confided a lot of my ideas to her and she really pushed and motivated me to follow through with the project. I am very blessed to be surrounded by empowering people, especially women, in the hip hop scene. What kind of audience are you looking to reach out to? Each and everyone! I never want to limit the audience my music reaches, because I feel hip hop shouldn't be limited to a certain group of listeners. If you enjoy good music and storytelling, then I would hope you could enjoy my work!
Any plans to tour over the summer?
Sadly, I don't have any plans to tour. Not that I don't wish to, but I am a mother first and foremost, so I don't think I could be away from my kids long enough to actually tour. But thankfully I have been blessed with opportunities to sporadically travel with my music so far, and it is definitely something I hope to continue to do. Diary of a Mad Red Woman is available for purchase on iTunes and Bandcamp.
STREAM: T-Rhyme - Diary of a Mad Red Woman
Find T-Rhyme on Instagram: @beadsrhymeslife and on YouTube.
