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nêhiyawak (band) facts for kids
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nêhiyawak
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| Origin | Edmonton, Alberta |
| Genres | Dream pop, shoegaze, First Nations music |
| Labels | Arts & Crafts Records |
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nêhiyawak is a cool indie rock band from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Its members are part of the First Nations community. The band's name, nêhiyawak, comes from the word that Cree people use to describe themselves.
Their first album, nipiy, came out in 2019. It was nominated for a Juno Award for Indigenous Music Album of the Year in 2020. The album was also a finalist for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize, which is a big award for Canadian music.
Meet the Band
The band nêhiyawak has three talented members. Kris Harper is the singer and plays guitar. Matthew Cardinal plays the bass guitar. Marek Tyler is the drummer. All three members are part of the Cree nation.
Their Unique Sound
nêhiyawak's music mixes two styles: dream pop and shoegaze. Dream pop has a soft, dreamy sound with gentle vocals. Shoegaze often uses lots of guitar effects, making a "wall of sound." The band sings in both English and Plains Cree, which makes their music very special.
How the Band Started
The band first came together to create music for a movie. They wrote the film score for ôtênaw. This was a documentary about a Cree educator named Dwayne Donald.
Early Music Releases
After working on the film, nêhiyawak released their first music. In 2017, they put out a self-titled EP (which is like a mini-album) with three songs. Later, they signed with Arts & Crafts Productions, a record label. This label released their EP Starlight in 2018. Their full album, nipiy, followed in 2019.