Zoon (band) facts for kids

Zoon is a cool Canadian band known for its unique music style called "shoegaze." The main person behind Zoon is Daniel Monkman, who is an Anishinaabe musician. Their album Bleached Wavves was very popular and was even nominated for a big award called the 2021 Polaris Music Prize in 2021.

Who is Zoon?

Zoon is a band from Hamilton, Ontario. It's mostly the project of Daniel Monkman. The band plays a type of music called shoegaze. Shoegaze music often has lots of guitar effects, making it sound dreamy and layered.

The Story of Daniel Monkman

Daniel Monkman grew up in Selkirk, Manitoba. He is a member of the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation. After living in other cities, he moved to Hamilton. For a while, he stopped making music. But then, he started playing again in Hamilton.

He first called his band Bloom. Later, he changed the name to Zoon. The name Zoon comes from an important teaching called zoongide'ewin. This word means bravery and courage in the Anishinaabemowin language.

What is Moccasin-Gaze?

Zoon's music is special because it mixes shoegaze rock with traditional First Nations music. Daniel Monkman calls this unique blend "moccasin-gaze." It's a way to combine his musical style with his heritage. The band has different musicians who play with Daniel. Right now, the members include Daniel Wintermans on guitar, Drew Rutt on bass, and Andrew McLeod on drums.

Music Releases and Collaborations

Before the full album came out, some songs from Bleached Wavves were released as an EP in 2019. An EP is like a mini-album with fewer songs. The complete album, Bleached Wavves, was released in 2020. It was Zoon's first full-length album and came out on Paper Bag Records.

Daniel Monkman also works with other musicians. He has a project called OMBIIGIZI with Adam Sturgeon from the band Status/Non-Status. Their first album together, Sewn Back Together, came out in 2022.