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nêhiyawak hails from amiskwaciy in Treaty 6 Territory. The trio of Indigenous Canadian artists – Kris Harper (vocals, guitars), Marek Tyler (drums), and Matthew Cardinal (synths, bass) – transcends a new intersection of contemporary sound and traditional storytelling with its singular music. The band – whose name refers directly to their nêhiyaw ancestry – is a spirited expression of Indigeneity in the modern world. The introductory song, “somnambulist,” personifies nêhiyawak’s heritage amidst a tapestry of chiming guitar, sheer electronic ambience, and resilient poetry. The lyrics reflect on the extraction industries and the impact they have on the way people think, live, build, and represent their culture artistically. “How long have we been here? Just wanted to know what you think about it?” The words pierce through Harper’s honeyed cadence and the airy, melodic syncopation of the song, juxtaposing the futility of these questions. Produced by Colin Stewart (The New Pornographers, Black Mountain, Destroyer) and joined by Jason Borys (sound design) and Courteney Morin (visuals), “somnambulist” introduces nêhiyawak as a band inspired by collective experience, and empowered progress.

LYRICS:

how long have we been here?
just wanted to know what you think about it
seems to be we’re always surveying
somnambulists speaking a foreign language
wincing cold, enacting what we’re being told
we are the gold, creusers of the darkest holes
have you read the aerosol writing?
thinly coating a depth-full story
seems to be a lucid possession
with architects behind projectors
are we close?
does it give you what you want the most?
we are the coltan
have inside us ancient code
in a panopticon, under Mary’s cape
the navigators barreling on, fumbling into fate
imagining a way.
the water durably runs after the paintings fade
forgotten where we are from
hidden in the plain
imagining a way

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