iskwē | ᐃᐢᑫᐧᐤ (short for waseskwan iskwew, meaning “blue sky woman”) is an award-winning Indigenous creator. The Cree Métis artist retreated south to Mexico with 10x Grammy-nominated producer Damian Taylor (Björk, Bomba Estereo) to create her fourth solo album, nīna (Cree translation for “me”). The 10-song collection illustrates the gut-wrenching roller coaster ride that has been her recent life and is an ode to the profoundly autobiographical elements.
iskwē has performed hundreds of shows worldwide at iconic locations, including Canada’s Parliament Hill, New York City at the Met, Reeperbahn, and Border Crossing’s Origins Festival in England. She is a JUNO winner, a recipient of the Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Award, and an ambassador for the PRS Keychange initiative. iskwē is originally from Treaty 1 and is currently spending her time in Montreal, QC.
Name:
iskwē
Genre:
Alternative cinematic
Founded:
1981
# of Albums:
4
Latest Album:
nīna
Latest Single:
Exhale
Latest Video:
Favourite musician growing up:
Kate Bush, Whitney Houston, Nina Hagen, Erykah Badu, David Bowie
Favourite musician now:
Marc Anthony
Guilty pleasure song:
Anything by Marc Anthony
Live show ritual:
Taking a few minutes before going on stage to be in total quiet, by myself, breathing.
Favourite local musician:
Elisapie
EP or LP?
LP
Early bird or night owl?
Depends on the season – I love summer mornings and winter nights
Road or studio?
Hmm…I love each for very different reasons! The road is great for consuming experiences; the studio is great for sharing experiences.
Any shows or albums coming up?
I have an album that came out on April 12, 2024, called “nīna”, which is the Cree iteration for “me”.
Where can we follow you?
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Rapid Fire Local Questions:
What is your favourite local restaurant?
It WAS Maison Publique, until it closed last year sniffles and now it is Pinxto at Le Centrale!
What is your favourite street in your city and why?
I love walking up and down Mont-Royal in the summer, when the street is pedestrian only – great vibes, people watching, pop-up art and parkettes. Its fun!
What is your favourite park in your city and why?
Definitely Parc LaFontaine! It is a bit calmer than some of the others, there are lots of sportsy things to do (I play tennis), and there’s a big, beautiful pond to sit by and watch the ducks. Very serene!
What is your favourite music venue in your city?
Probably Studio TD – the sound is amazing and the team is so, so lovely to work with!
What is your favourite music store in your city?
Oooh – I don’t know! I need to go explore this and get back to you!
