Watch Aysanabee's soulful cover of the Band's 'The Weight'

The 2024 Juno Awards are mere weeks away, and to celebrate we recorded the Juno Sessions: a series where past and present Juno Award nominees and winners cover songs by musicians who have been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

In the second instalment in the series, Toronto-based Oji-Cree singer-songwriter Aysanabee covered the Band's classic 1968 track, "The Weight." Aysanabee was nominated for three Juno Awards this year, including songwriter of the year, alternative album of the year, and contemporary Indigenous artist of the year. 

"It was great to be able to, as an Indigenous artist, cover another Indigenous artist, you know, Robbie Robertson," Aysanabee told CBC Music. "I also have a little soft spot for classic rock too, because I grew up in these small northern towns where [that music] is always almost a bit nostalgic."

For his take on "The Weight," Aysanabee shared singing duties with his background singers, Alina Lai and Kyla Charter and guitarist Gina Kennedy. Their vocal performances are warm and soulful, playing up the gospel and blues sensibilities of the original. 

The Band was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1989. Although they never won a group Juno Award, songwriter and guitarist Robbie Roberston was nominated for eight and won five between 1989 and 1999. 

The late Robertson, who died in 2023, has a well-earned legacy as one of Canada's greatest songwriters, penning other notable tracks such as "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" and "Somewhere Down the Crazy River." 

With his rendition of "The Weight," Aysanbee joins the ranks of many artists that have covered this 1960s classic, including Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross and the Supremes, and more recently, the Black Keys. 

Watch Aysanabee's nostalgic cover of The Band's "The Weight" above, and keep an eye on cbcmusic.ca/junos for further Juno Sessions covers.

Host Nelly Furtado is bringing the party to the 2024 Juno Awards on Sunday, March 24, at 8 p.m ET. Tune in on CBC-TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music and CBC Listen, and stream globally on cbcmusic.ca/junos.

The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was established by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 1978 to acknowledge artists who have made a remarkable impact on Canadian music, both nationally and internationally. It is housed in Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre in Calgary. The next multiple-induction ceremony will take place in October 2024, and will see inductees join the ranks of Canada's most esteemed talent including Oscar Peterson, Leonard Cohen, Alanis Morissette, Trooper, Shania Twain, Deborah Cox, the Tragically Hip, Rush and more. Visit canadianmusichalloffame.ca for more information.