An award-winning Indigenous artist is back in the Maritimes after winning Songwriter of the Year at last year’s Juno Awards in Halifax, but this time he’s on stage.
“It’s been awesome to come out here and do as many shows as we’re doing,” said Aysanabee in an interview with CTV’s Katie Kelly on Tuesday.
“And then some of the more regional places too, because I love going to places where a lot of people don’t really head to.”
Combining a mix of indie, soul, and even a bit of electronic music, Aysanabee has captivated audiences across the country.
Now, he’s performing across Canada for his first headline tour called “Now and Then.”
This tour isn’t just about him though, as he says it’s about building the community. At every stop, Aysanabee features a local Indigenous artist, giving them a stage and new audience.
“I put a call out. I asked everybody to send a performance video. I know everybody has different resources, so I was just like, ‘Even if it’s a cellphone video, I’d just send it over and just the paragraph about why you make music’,” he said.
The artists joining Aysanabee for the Maritime-leg of the tour include Alan Syliboy & The Thundermakers, DeeDee Austin, and Wolf Castle.
“It’s such a great way for him to give back and continue building community amongst Indigenous musicians and people just, you know, all over,” said Wolf Castle, who’s an artist from Pabineau First Nation in New Brunswick.
Aysanabee said he just wants to help new artists and share what he’s learned from being an artist over the past few years.
“I remember when I was coming up, it felt like there’s a lot of gatekeeping and stuff like that,” he said.
“I’m just hoping we can kind of build a music community where we kind of lift each other up.”
The final stop for the “Now and Then” tour in the Maritimes will be in Liverpool, N.S., on Saturday, March 15. Tickets for the remaining shows are available online.
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