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nêhiyawak (band)

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nêhiyawak
OriginEdmonton, Alberta
GenresDream pop, shoegaze, First Nations music
LabelsArts & Crafts Records
Members
  • Kris Harper
  • Matthew Cardinal
  • Marek Tyler

nêhiyawak are a Canadian First Nations indie rock group from Edmonton, Alberta.[1] The band's name is derived from Nêhiyawak, an endonym for the Cree people. The band's debut album nipiy, released in 2019, was a Juno Award nominee for Indigenous Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2020,[2] and was shortlisted for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize.[3]

The band consists of singer and guitarist Kris Harper, bassist Matthew Cardinal, and drummer Marek Tyler, all members of the Cree nation.[4] Their style combines dream pop with shoegaze, with lyrics sung in both English and Plains Cree.[4] Initially coming together to compose and perform the film score for ôtênaw, a documentary about Cree educator Dwayne Donald,[5] they later released a self-titled independent three-song EP in 2017. They subsequently signed with Arts & Crafts Productions, which released the EP Starlight in 2018 and nipiy in 2019.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Tom Murray, "nêhiyawak, Real Sickies album releases highlight shifting perspectives". Edmonton Journal, October 1, 2019.
  2. ^ Melody Lau, "Alessia Cara and Tory Lanez lead the 2020 Juno nominations". CBC Music, January 28, 2019.
  3. ^ Allie Gregory (July 15, 2020). "Here's the Polaris Music Prize 2020 Short List". Exclaim!.
  4. ^ a b Mike Usinger, "Following no one's rules, nêhiyawak proudly looks to both the past and the future with nipiy". The Georgia Straight, December 4, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Laura Stanley, "nêhiyawak Tackle the Past and Sound Like the Future on 'starlight'". Exclaim!, December 6, 2018.
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