4 new songs you have to hear from Aysanabee, Skydiggers, Jeremy Dutcher and more!
Photo by Kirk Lisaj.One of our gigs here at Roots Music Canada is to stay on top of all the new music out there so that you don’t have to. And holy crap has there been a lot of good stuff lately.
We just recently told you about new singles from Julian Taylor, Adrian Sutherland and Allison Russell — who, by the way, has an ever NEWER single out now.
But oh boy, the goodness just keeps on coming.
Here are four MORE recently-released singles you will want to check out.
Aysanabee – “Alone”
I think it’s fair to say that Aysanabee has been the “it” artist of the year, if there’s such a thing. A year and a half ago, he was working as a digital journalist for CTV and assuming that his dreams of a music career were probably long gone, given that the pandemic had done enough to damage the careers of established artists, never mind the people trying to get in. But then the songs he’d started writing to preserve his grandfather’s stories caught the attention of Ishkode Records, the new Indigenous record label launched by Shoshona Kish and Amanda Rheaume. Now music fans can’t get enough of him. He’s touring the world, he earned a Juno nod for his debut album, Watin, and some see him as a favourite to take home the Polaris Music Prize, the winner of which will be announced on Tuesday. Aysanabee is doing what any sensible artist would do under the circumstances: prioritizing creative time and readying a follow-up. The Here and Now EP is due out Oct. 20. And if this first single is any indication, Aysanabee is only getting better.
Skydiggers – “Employee of the Myth”
When I first heard the title of this track, I was expecting a political commentary on the model worker myth or quiet quitting or return-to-work policies or the mythical workers who can survive on minimum wage. But it’s not about any of those things, actually. In fact, it’s not a political song at all. It was actually inspired by a comment made to David Letterman by King of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, acccording to Skydigger Josh Finlayson. Letterman asked Khan how he stays so humble in a country that practically worships him. He replied that he is the employee of the myth. So there you have it.
Jeremy Dutcher – “Take My Hand”
Jeremy Dutcher won the music business in 2018 with the release of his debut album, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, which saw him adapt traditional songs from the Wolastoqiyik people — captured on wax cylinder recordings — for his piano and operatic tenor voice. He took home the Juno Award and Polaris Prize for that recording and became a household name with music fans across Canada. His fortcoming EP, due on Oct. 6, does not attempt to build on that project. Instead, it’s an exploration of contemporary Indigeneity and Jeremy’s place within it. It’s also his first time writing and singing in English. “Take My Hand,” released last month, is its third single.
Echos Of … – “anaanaga”
Echoes Of … is a new project fronted by Andrew Morrison of Nunavut band the Jerry Cans, which prioritizes collaboration. It features James Ungalaq (Northern Haze), Terry Uyarak, Ivaana, Naja P, Jace Lasek (Besnard Lakes), Maazes, and a diverse group of skilled instrumentalists and producers, creating a sonic landscape that echoes the rugged beauty and collaborative spirit of the north. The first single, “anaanaga,” was recorded during COVID-19 isolation requirements and was captured while Andrew brought his kids to visit his mother/their grandmother for the last time. This was the last song he ever sang to his mother, and he said this release is an ode to the deep beauty of that moment.
