8 Indigenous musicians to know in 2024

CBC Music is celebrating National Indigenous History Month with eight artists you need to know in 2024. Whether you're a fan of breezy folk music, cathartic pop, electrifying hip-hop or soulful R&B, these emerging musicians should be on your radar.

Mattmac

Mattmac is an Oji-Cree music producer and rapper from Garden Hill First Nation who has been on the rise for the past few years, and recently had a breakthrough when he was crowned the winner of CBC Music's 2023 Searchlight competition. His tracks are a tight mix of crisp trap beats and catchy pop hooks, and often feature collaborations with fellow Indigenous artists such as Mariame and Rex Smallboy. Whether rapping about anxiety or singing about heartbreak, Mattmac's unapologetic authenticity shines through in every song.

His latest release, "Imposters," is an upbeat track that acknowledges the pressures of fame while also celebrating his community: "I wanna see my people at the top," he sings. "We're out here breaking barriers and countering stereotypes, and just doing our own thing," he said in a press release, summing up not only the song's empowering theme, but also his approach to making music. — Natalie Harmsen

Anachnid

It's been just over four years since Kiki Harper, a.k.a. Anachnid, shared Dreamweaver, her debut album full of electro-pop synthscapes that transport you to a different world. The Oji-Cree musician has released a few tracks since her 2020 record was longlisted for the Polaris Prize — her most recent being a three-song EP, 2023's Freak of Nature, in collaboration with Popop Records and Musique Nomade. 

On Freak of Nature, Anachnid's vocals are sparse, haunting and ethereal, which is a bit of a departure from her past work. There are no lyrics, and the sounds coming from Harper are natural, human sounds she hopes listeners can connect with on a visceral level, "to show, really, what the Indigenous universe is like," Harper told Popop in French. 

Freak of Nature is an extension of her lived experience as an Indigenous woman in downtown Montreal — tuned up with synths, drums and vocal effects. Harper's vocals are non-intrusive, inviting the listener in close. In a time where it feels like we're constantly surrounded by noise, Anachnid tells us to stop, listen and just be. — Kyle Muzyka

Wyatt C. Louis

Folk artist Wyatt C. Louis is a nêhiyaw singer-songwriter based in Moh'kinstsís, Treaty 7 Territory. Their voice echoes with warmth and soul on their debut album, Chandler (their middle name), which was released in May. The album is filled with gentle guitar strumming and honeyed melodies that capture the haze of summer. Bursts of pedal steel on songs such as "Bobtail Road" add a country feel to Louis's sound, but don't let the lush instrumentals distract you from their songwriting skills: CBC Music producer Robert Rowat described Louis as "a lyricist who imbues simple, direct language with poignant layers of meaning." 

Chandler may be a new release, but Louis is already looking ahead to their next project, which could potentially include linguistic nods to their heritage: "I'm working one tune where I'm trying to incorporate Cree words that I've learned that also mean a lot to me," they told the Calgary Herald. "I'm trying to mix the two and make them co-exist." — NH

Semiah

The first line in Semiah's electro-pop banger "Celestial Bodies" hits in a way that's hard to describe: "I don't give a flying f--k about you," the Mohawk, Turtle Clan artist sings, in a melodic raising of her voice that makes it feel pointed at you, the listener. But don't worry — it's not. "I really say that with my chest," Semiah told CBC Hamilton in 2022. "I don't give a f--k about any of these politicians that told us we can't be who we are."

The song is also a nod to who she is and who surrounds her: generations of grandparents, aunties and uncles who are with her always. Semiah calls herself the Baby Aunty, and she's certainly channeling her auntie energy in parts of her 2023 EP, After the Night Ends. 

She was reluctant at first, but as Semiah lets the audience in on the teachings and culture that guide her — like on "Celestial Bodies" —  her authenticity shines through. "The overall song is celebrating that we're still here … and it's really just such a miracle that we still have what we have today." — KM

Rebecca Strong

Rebecca Strong, a Denesuliné singer from Prince Albert, Sask., was most recently crowned the winner of Canada's Got Talent. She's covered a number of popular artists including Billie Eilish and Adele — she sang a passionate rendition of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" before winning the competition. But the powerful young vocalist has been singing for much longer than her run on national TV: growing up, she performed in the bands the Strong Sisters and in Thunder and the Skydancers with her family.

"I like to write about things that people can relate to," she told CBC News of her forthcoming album. Following her win, she plans to hit the road for a tour. "I want to share my music with as many people as I can." — NH

Sekawnee

The West Coast is teeming with Indigenous hip-hop talent, but no one is quite doing it like Sekawnee. The Afro-Indigenous musician raps over G-funk and trap-inspired beats so cold you might expect a "Mustard on the beat" tag — except these tracks have sampled and reverbed powwow vocals. This kind of First Nations flavour isn't exactly new, but Sekawnee and his frequent collaborators, Chasé Scanz and EfrainYB, move through the song "Nations" effortlessly: they are constantly reminding us where they're from, but in a style that feels both fresh and unforced.

And it's not just their lyrics. In the music video for "Nations" — which has been a big hit on Native TikTok and has almost 100,000 streams on Spotify — the three rappers are situated in community: donning lacrosse sticks, driving ATVs around, and hanging out with the kids from the rez.

Sekawnee is for the children and for his culture — two things he carries with him as he continues to build momentum, releasing his latest, "Hereditary Sound," on May 31. — KM

Jessa Sky

Métis Cree pop singer Jessa Sky's vulnerability is her artistic strength. Whether she's laying bare the challenges of sobriety, or lamenting lost love in her songs, Sky's willingness to reveal her dark sides invites listeners to connect with her music. Her debut album, Sky's the Limit, is an exercise in diaristic transparency: "I choose to share my darkest moments with such a large audience, because I can almost guarantee someone is or has experienced what I have," she told Canvas Rebel in 2023.

The record serves as a soundtrack for healing, and its songs are poignant anthems of resilience. "We were given strength from the creator, to overcome and be somebody greater," she sings on "We're Not Lost," one of the standouts of the project. Sky's the Limit is pop with purpose: Sky presents her ups and downs with care, but uses bright melodies to unite all her thoughts and feelings. It may only be her first album, but it's indicative of her commitment to heartfelt, lyrical storytelling. — NH

Sister Ray

It was the "storytelling rooted in collective value, resilience, and safety" in traditional Métis music that helped Ella Coyes, a.k.a. Sister Ray, understand their place on this land. Coyes is more than a singer-songwriter; they are a storyteller whose specific and personal lyrics carry their story in ways that are impossible to do without song.

"Sharing it through the music, there is this sense of feeling almost kind of infinitely understood," they told CBC Arts last year. "Music feels like the most true format for me to make sense of things that maybe should be secrets, but they escape the realm of secret for me and live in songs."

Those secrets manifest in astounding honesty; they are experiences so specific and yet somehow allegorical, as if your tarot cards are being read in folk-song form. 

Coyes is wrapping up their second album, building off their 2023 EP, Teeth. They (and we) would like you to know that they are making this new record in socks and sandals. — KM