4 songs you need to hear to celebrate Indigenous History Month

To kick off Indigenous History Month, we're devoting this week's edition of Songs you need to hear to new tracks from exciting Indigenous musicians. 

Never Come Down, Tia Wood

Tia Wood is back with her first new single since releasing her debut EP, Pretty Red Bird, in late September. It's been a whirlwind two years for Wood after launching her solo career, and her new song, Never Come Back, is a look into her mind as the changes in her life hit her all at once. Wood previously sang with her father and other family members in Juno-winning powwow group Northern Cree, and since striking out on her own she's signed to a major label (Sony Music Canada), been nominated for and performed at the Juno Awards, and toured across North America. "The last two years have been filled with so many amazing opportunities and ups and downs as I got my bearings in this new world. I'm always thinking and dreaming about the future and creating, and making music, but with that comes a sort of bittersweet feeling because it means I have to spend time missing many of the people and things I love the most," she shared in a press release. 

Wood co-wrote Never Come Back in Los Angeles with Bailey Bryan (Noah Cyrus, Shaboozey), Casey Mattson (Oliver Tree) and Joe Pepe (iann dior, Kiana Ledé). As she continues to spread her wings, performing on stages in Toronto and L.A., far from her home of Saddle Lake Cree Nation, Wood hopes that those she had to leave behind will remain in her life. It's hard to pursue your dreams, and even harder when they take you away from the ones you hold dearest. Acoustic guitar flows like a babbling brook, as her voice embraces a warm melancholy, simultaneously wistful and resonant on the chorus: "Am I gonna lose you? Where are you now?/ Will you still be there if I never come down?" — Kelsey Adams

Mahaha: Tickling Demon, Piqsiq

Inuit throat-singing duo Tiffany Ayalik and Inuksuk Mackay, a.k.a. Piqsiq, are expert world builders, and their latest album,  Legends, immerses listeners in traditional Inuit stories. "This album feels like the purest synthesis of who we are as artists, because it brings us full circle in drawing on the stories that shaped us as children and reimagining them through the lens of our lives today," Mackay said via press release. "By reconnecting with that sense of wonder, play and cultural memory, we were able to create something deeply honest and rooted in who we are." Mahaha: Tickling Demon is straightforwardly titled, but not all fun and games: "If you are found frozen with a smile on your face, it was likely the work of Mahaha," the duo described, of the demon who tickles people to death. Ayalik and Mackay's voices twine with an ominous drum beat, a far-off caw dropping in to signal Mahaha's impending arrival. It's deliciously sinister, and a mood-perfect theme song for White Lotus, Season 4. (We hear Mike White's looking.) — Holly Gordon

Off Rez, Ribbon Skirt

Montreal post-punk rockers Ribbon Skirt, fronted by Anishinaabe singer Tashiina Buswa, let it rip on Off Rez, a cheeky yet piercing song from their sizzling debut album, Bite Down. Unleashing riotous energy on the first verse, Buswa's vocals buzz as she sings about colonialism's enduring grip: "They want 2000's Buffy Marie/ they want my status but they're getting my teeth." Off Rez is an exciting sonic mish-mash: it wails with shoegaze-inspired guitars and hums with a churning, low bassline. Buswa's brooding delivery combined with reverb-y guitars also nod to Joy Division and Fontaines D.C., creating a sound that's familiar enough for post-punk listeners to appreciate, yet still experimental and lyrically compelling enough for fans to find something new to chew on. Near the 3:06 mark, Buswa's voice blurs into an ominous, almost indiscernible echo over a clanging tambourine as she repeats: "Snakes in the bath, do you want that? Snakes in the crowd that you walk past," as the guitars growl, becoming more and more distorted. Bite Down got rave reviews from Stereogum and Pitchfork (it earned a 7.7, which, funnily enough, is the same score as Fontaines D.C.'s Romance) and is already a contender for one of the best albums of the year. — Natalie Harmsen

Home, Aysanabee

Aysanabee's upcoming album, Edge of the Earth (out June 20), explores a transitional time in the musician's life. That theme can be felt in his latest single, Home, an anthemic journey from heartbreak to acceptance. "If home is where the heart is/ then we must be heartsick," Aysanabee sings in the pre-chorus, admitting that "we can't go back," but swerving into the chorus with open-armed optimism: "And honey, I'm OK with that." While sorrow peeks through as he repeats the refrain, "We used to sing like home," the track's revved-up riffs soundtrack someone learning to move on and take a leap of faith into the unknowns that lie ahead. By the end of Home, Aysanabee sounds ready to tackle whatever comes his way next. — Melody Lau