Aysanabee

Aysanabee, who is Oji-Cree, Sucker Clan of the Sandy Lake First Nation, is a singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist whose stirring roots rock songs traffic in folk, pop, soul, and electronic music elements. He found mainstream success in 2022 after reaching number one on the CBC Music and Alternative Rock charts, becoming the first Indigenous Canadian artist to do so. His debut album, Watin, received nominations for a Juno Award and the Polaris Music Prize.
Born in Northwestern Ontario and raised under the moniker Evan Pang to evade the Indigenous racism in his community, Aysanabee reclaimed his family’s surname as an adult. As a teen, he worked for a mining company. After studying journalism in college, he landed a job as a digital content creator for CTV News. During this time, he was also performing music with various bands. Wanting to tell his family’s story, he began writing and releasing his own material, which caught the attention of Amanda Rheaume and ShoShona Kish of the band Digging Roots, who had just formed Ishkōdé Records. Aysanabee became the label’s first outside signee and released the singles “We Were Here,” “Ego Death,” and “Nomads” in early 2022. The latter cut, which elicited comparisons to Bon Iver, Sam Smith, and Kings of Leon, became a hit, charting on Billboard Canada, and hitting number one on CBC Music and Alternative Radio. His debut album, Watin, appeared later that year. Written during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was based on conversations Aysanabee had with his grandfather, who appears in excerpts throughout the Polaris Music Prize- and Juno Award-nominated LP. ~ James Christopher Monger