In Conversation with Aysanabee

[00:00:00] Rosalyn: Hello, and welcome to season two of refocus, where we talk to artists and music industry professionals about building sustainable careers as creative workers with a focus on folk. I'm your host, Rosalyn Dennett

[00:00:28] Rosalyn: Hello, and welcome to [00:00:30] ReFolkUs. Today our guest is the Juno nominated multi-instrumentalist, producer and singer songwriter Aysanabee. He's Oji-Cree, Sucker Clan of the Sandy Lake first nations, a remote flying community in the far reaches of Northwestern Ontario, and is currently based in Toronto. His debut album, Watin’, named after his grandfather includes 10 tracks and nine interludes featuring the voice of his grandfather and his.

[00:00:53] Rosalyn: Both part music and journalism, artistry, and expression. His new EP here now was released in October, [00:01:00] 2023 and is available everywhere. Aysanabee is the winner of three 2023 Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards, winner of the 2023 Jim Beam Indie Award for Indigenous Artist of the Year, winner of a 2023 Canadian Live Music Award for New Touring Artist of the Year, and the winner of the 2023 Ontario Folk Music Awards for Recording Artist of the Year.

[00:01:22] Rosalyn: Here is our conversation with Aysanabee. [00:01:30] Thank you so much for joining us today. How are you doing?

[00:01:32] Aysanabee: I'm doing well, thank you so much for having me.

[00:01:35] Rosalyn: I feel like it's been a while since I've seen you. we managed to intersect at, a bunch of, I would say, like, industry events, you know? One of the first times I met you was, at FMO last year, where I can confidently say that you were a runaway hit, you know, made a big, big impression on a lot of, folks there and have, just kind of continued on this, amazing trajectory How has this last little bit

[00:01:59] Rosalyn: been?

[00:01:59] Aysanabee: [00:02:00] Yeah, that's it's been and yeah, yeah, that was a really cool space like I want to start by saying I wish people told me about these music conferences like ages ago, you know like cuz I feel like obviously like maybe it wouldn't have happened the way that it happened because like the label Like people who had been in the industry were like on my team who'd been in the industry for like decades so like that really helped but like yeah, I remember just like trying to set up shows in bars and then just like hoping someone would walk through the [00:02:30] door and then like, voila, my music career is happening.

[00:02:34] Aysanabee: And you know, but that like, that just never happened. And it's like, you, play these music conferences and then suddenly you're playing to a room like full of these people you would hope would come to that bar gig except you're like, yeah, the people who book festivals and the booking agents and the people who own venues and the people who just been in the music scene and and I don't know just all these crazy connections that you make at these conferences.

[00:02:57] Aysanabee: I don't know why I never thought to go to them before [00:03:00]

[00:03:00] Rosalyn: FMO your first industry conference or had you gone to some before that?

[00:03:03] Aysanabee: Well, I guess technically my first one would have been Canadian Music Week like pre-pandemic but like, I still didn't quite know, right? Like, and it's kind of like South by Southwest on a smaller scale, but still like just as like hard to meet people because there'll be like thousands of musicians across the city and like every single venue is throwing on an event.

[00:03:22] Aysanabee: And then there's only so much music industry people, right? So I think my first one where I actually got like some face time with people was like [00:03:30] Mundial Montreal, like, I think, 2021 and like, places were still kind of really in the pandemic mode. So it's like I got a gig actually this past summer from Mundial, like 2021, November. It almost took like almost two years for something to come of it. But like, that's how I ended up going to, Denmark and going to music festival was by, playing that music conferences, like nearly two years ago.

[00:03:54] Rosalyn: a long game, you know?

[00:03:55] Aysanabee: Exactly. And it's just like you make, all these connections and like, and, and network and [00:04:00] stuff. But some of them are pretty big too. Like, I mean, the, international Folk Alliance one was like kind of crazy as well. I think I could have like maybe organized my days a little bit better to maybe go to more of those panels.

[00:04:14] Aysanabee: I mean, it was my first time being there. I remember just being kind of like, wow, this is insane because it was like three levels of hotel. And then everyone's like up till like 6 in the morning.

[00:04:23] Rosalyn: yeah, at some point you do have to sleep, if you could, like, divide yourself in half, that would be really effective, because it's pretty hard[00:04:30] to play music and then stay up super late and then be up bright eyed and bushy tailed for meetings the next day.

[00:04:34] Aysanabee: yeah. I think I just got really excited to be there and just see something so wild and weird and new and I loved it. it was just so cool and just, it felt like. that movie, like Almost Famous, where they're like walking around like a crazy hotel or whatever.

[00:04:47] Aysanabee: But like, it was, yeah, it was really cool to kind of just every floor and there's like different music happening in every room and there's thousands of musicians and music industry people. And it just seems like you're like one of the [00:05:00] coolest parties ever, I don't know. So it's it was hard to like reel that in a bit,

[00:05:04] Rosalyn: Well, maybe let's, let's take a little, a step back to, like, what were you doing over the pandemic time and, and before that, what was that time like for you?

[00:05:12] Aysanabee: Yeah. Like, before music conferences, before, I guess, my music career started becoming a career, I was still playing music. I was just kind of doing it in my spare time. I moved to Toronto to play music, but then I ended up going to school for journalism, and then I worked in journalism. I mean, to be creative [00:05:30] after, like, a day of news.

[00:05:31] Aysanabee: I don't know, like, some people, like they'll watch the news for an hour and be like, I am so drained and like that feeling doesn't change when you work in the news for eight hours like I was just coming out of it. I just want to watch Netflix and turn off my brain because like the world is on fire. I would still like set up shows and, play and, keep my practice when I had energy and stuff.

[00:05:54] Aysanabee: So like, I mean, it wasn't like this music career kind of came out of nowhere and I just like learned how to play guitar during the [00:06:00] pandemic. I'd been playing for a minute. Yeah, like I remember January, 2020 and like playing a show with a band and being like, this is going to be the year.

[00:06:08] Aysanabee: And then like everything shut down. And then, so I think like I'd gotten this job in journalism and I'd gotten this career in journalism. And like, I was like a unionized, salaried journalist in this country, which is nearly impossible to get. And me being like the first person in my family, like, like, one of the first people in my family to like, graduate post [00:06:30] secondary and, get a career and, and being paying into a pension and stuff like that.

[00:06:34] Aysanabee: It was kind of like, it was with that. And then with the world shutting down and not being able to play music to people anymore, I was kind of like, okay, well maybe I can just like, I can just be a journalist and do music on the side. cause yeah, like, at that time, like, I just never didn't know how to like, kind of.

[00:06:50] Aysanabee: Get into the music industry and get in there and get involved like I just play shows and hope for the best

[00:06:55] Rosalyn: What flipped then? Because it's not like you were in a, career you were maybe [00:07:00] desperate to get out of..

[00:07:00] Aysanabee: It was kind of just a weird collection of incidences and or not it's like a weird things that just organically happens so when that realization came when the world shut down and it wasn't the year and I was like, okay Well, I'm still gonna make music I'm never not gonna like not make music it's so wild to me when you have like these big artists who are just I'm retiring music. I'm just like, how, cause it's just something I just genuinely love to do. And so, yeah, like I was just like, all right, well, now that there [00:07:30] isn't this pressure to like, make it, I was just like, I'm just going to like work on music that I want to work on.

[00:07:35] Aysanabee: And, and so, yeah, like there was with that kind of mindset and then kind of, yeah. the whole story with my grandfather of him moving into long term care in 2020. And then that leading to me to, to interview him for a year. so it kind of changed my perspective on how I was making music.

[00:07:50] Aysanabee: Like I wasn't trying to make a, like a product or anything. I was trying to make something kind of special to me and my family. And so like, I think that translated quite a bit when I was like, just kind of working on this album. [00:08:00] Cause like I started working on this album. Probably the end of 2020 is when I decided I was going to start writing songs about it.

[00:08:07] Aysanabee: I just like spent the first little bit kind of just plugging away. And because like, we were all like locked down in our houses, I suddenly had, I wouldn't say had the time or I didn't have the time before I just like all the things that would eat up your time before the pandemic.

[00:08:22] Aysanabee: Going out with friends and stuff, like how we're going to socialize, all that went away. So suddenly you had this time and like, I don't know, it was a weird [00:08:30] time too, because so many of my friends got laid off and then they got the CERB and they're just like, yeah, I'm just, I'm just at home making music the whole time.

[00:08:36] Aysanabee: And I'm like, I was working from home, so I was working remotely. So I'd still like, I was like doing COVID updates. every day and stuff like that. So I was still drained and I was still like, oh, okay, well, I'll just work on this album, like over the, however long it's going to take to kind of, that's where I met Shoshona and Amanda early 2021 doing like their virtual version of the international indigenous [00:09:00] music summit.

[00:09:00] Aysanabee: I mean, that was all just by kind of chance as well. Like, it was like early spring maybe. And then. They are doing virtual sessions. It was indigenous people from across the country. We just kind of told our story and like, made a little mini doc, and that's where they kind of saw me, and they're just kind of like, Who are you, and what are you doing?

[00:09:18] Aysanabee: What are you working on right now? And then I told them about this album, and I was like, It's not done though. Like, I have like, two demos, and some ideas, and I'm there starting a record label, and they decided to like, sign me. They said [00:09:30] they wanted me to be their first signing based on, like, this idea I had for…

[00:09:34] Aysanabee: this album and like one performance video I'd done for their mini documentary.

[00:09:39] Rosalyn: Yeah. I mean, that's amazing. just to reiterate there, so you were the first artist signed to Ishkode Records, that's such an interesting relationship to me because that must have been like a bit of a leap of faith on your part, too, right?

[00:09:53] Aysanabee: it really was, I mean, I didn't really know, anything about the music industry. And I was Googling stuff, right? Like let's, [00:10:00] thankfully I had to like, enough training as a journalist, maybe to kind of just be able to kind of gather research more efficiently.

[00:10:06] Aysanabee: But like, I don't know. I was, I was always kind of put at calm with the way that like Amanda and Shoshana talked about things and like how they just. Pass you information and stuff like that and how everything they say, they kind of say with care and, it didn't quite feel you know, the classic business person in a suit being like, sign your art to me, give it to me please and I'm going exploit it.[00:10:30]

[00:10:31] Aysanabee: they just had this like very kind of like, you know, I don't wanna use the word holistic 'cause even , but they had like a very kind of like. Just human way of, of saying, you know, we're starting this business. we hate to call it a business, but it is a business this is our beliefs and this is kind of our mission statement.

[00:10:48] Aysanabee: We want to like uplift indigenous voices and like, you know, the story you're trying to tell is the exact stories we want to kind of uplift. and one thing I want to point out too, is like they signed me. [00:11:00] Like I had two songs we remastered and sent back out, but like, it's not normal for record labels to sign people who don't really have anything on the internet or anything like people will normally sign people when, they have a million people. things on Tik Tok or

[00:11:19] Aysanabee: billions of streams on whatever platform. They have like so many followers on social media, like record labels on mostly signed people when there's, they've already done all the work [00:11:30] and they can kind of use that. So to kind of like find someone who's not really known and you're like, we want to bring you up.

[00:11:36] Aysanabee: Like it's, I don't think it's very common.

[00:11:39] Rosalyn: No. And like, it seems like a neat relationship because you basically were able to kind of grow together the same time that they were building the label, did you feel like, you were being there like a, did it feel like a different trajectory once you got signed?

[00:11:54] Aysanabee: I don't know. They kind of just really gave me space to kind of basically have kind of [00:12:00] control on every, almost every aspect. So like control, creative control, control of how I play shows, control, like, if there was something I wanted, like, I feel like I was able to ask and then we were fine.

[00:12:12] Aysanabee: Figure it out. but yeah, I didn't really feel like I was like A& R'd to become a different person or anything like that Which I know happens pretty frequently

[00:12:21] Aysanabee: we were just kind of growing together and yeah I don't think any of us like really saw the trajectory kind of going to where it went to like so quickly [00:12:30] Maybe we thought it would have taken a while longer I know at one point there was talks about like, not putting out the album when we did.

[00:12:37] Aysanabee: Like putting it out on November 4th of last year was actually like an intentional Decision, even though like, there was a whole thing of us like, Oh, like, well, there's like marketing and stuff that happens behind a new record. Right. And we had like, no time, like finish the record.

[00:12:54] Aysanabee: And it was like, well, let's just put it out immediately. That's like, this is, and it was intentional because like, it's gonna [00:13:00] sound weird, but like, that was the last day that you could put a record out for it to be considered for a Juno.

[00:13:05] Aysanabee: and I remember just the weirdest, it wasn't even like, what's much smaller than the word argument, It was like such a, it was like a discussion of just like. I think show was just like, ah, sure if I want to put you through that whole like Juno circuit just at this time in your career itself. And I was just like, oh, I don't know.

[00:13:21] Aysanabee: and it was just like funny back and forth of just like. Bring me back a year. And I don't think I would be having this conversation at all of [00:13:30] like, we should try and see if we can get,

[00:13:33] Aysanabee: it was such a weird thing. It was weird to talk about too, just because of the context of the album.

[00:13:37] Aysanabee: Right. And like, for those listening who haven't listened to the album, like it's a story, the story of my grandfather, Watton, and the album's named after him and all the songs are based off of like these stories, that he told me, like. During the year of 2020 and like there's like a clip of a conversation and then like a song inspired by that and you know, it's, it focuses on his life, which [00:14:00] includes, you know, stories of, of him meeting my grandmother, but then like stories of them being in residential school.

[00:14:06] Aysanabee: So always such an icky feeling, I guess, when you, when you're talking about awards and stuff like that, when it's like such like a deeply personal and kind of like Really a heavy conversation and topic of a record

[00:14:18] Rosalyn: Well, I think that this isn't acknowledged very often for artists, I've been through this, I've lost tons of awards, but, like, sometimes, like, if you also don't get an award, like, this, it's a rollercoaster. And I know that, like, you [00:14:30] have won awards and, and you've been nominated but when it's for something that's so deeply personal, do those feelings get mixed up where you're like, does it sting if you're like, this is something that means so much to me, you know?

[00:14:42] Aysanabee: oh, I think it stung a little bit, but for a very different reason, like I went into there thinking like I wasn't going to win. but just the fact too. So the whole reason we were talking about like whether or not it should go and be considered for a Juno like I wasn't really thinking about winning the Juno, [00:15:00] I was just thinking about like, all these people I saw like Juman nominated on their bios and stuff and then Juno nominated when they're like being pitched to festivals and when they're this or that right like it, carries a certain weight as part of your career, like suddenly, your, what you're getting paid to play the festivals, that rate go up and it's not even like suddenly because touring and playing is so expensive.

[00:15:21] Aysanabee: And when I was doing it solo, it's like really easy. Right. But then suddenly when you, when you have a piece band and you're flying everybody on your own dollar and then[00:15:30] paying everybody and feeding everyone, all the, all the stuff attached with, touring and, and even getting merch made and all that.

[00:15:37] Aysanabee: There's all these crazy expenses that it's like hard for people to just break even, but then if you can start making more money, then like, you can actually start developing a show and like being like, Ooh, like I always thought it'd be cool to have these lights or, I mean, I want to have a hundred foot hologram that walks through the audience.

[00:15:54] Aysanabee: You know what I mean? Like there's, there's so many cool things that would be so amazing to like be able to [00:16:00] Kind of like create like a really show or a show that just you get to like, help them bring a little of that space that you were in when you were making the song and stuff and making it like so much more special and so much more like ingrained in people's memories.

[00:16:15] Aysanabee: And so yeah, like that was, that was like kind of the reasoning behind that. It was just like, this, would just kind of really help, build up shows and stuff like that. Um,

[00:16:23] Rosalyn: the performance that you did at the Junos was just like I mean, that was a show that was so incredible [00:16:30] and impressive.

[00:16:30] Rosalyn: What was it like to, to get to put together that performance

[00:16:34] Aysanabee: Oh man. It was so incredible. Cause honestly the whole, insight team, like from the Junos, like production team was like. They were so incredible to work with, like I can't give them enough props because like I was, I was like touring, I think my birthday, January 25th was when, like, we went to the Junos office, or the Insight office, and then we started to like, you're gonna play, be playing the Junos, so, like, what do you want to do?

[00:16:59] Aysanabee: And we [00:17:00] had like, one meeting, And then I went on tour and then like I was doing like a tour out west solo tour and then like so it's on these phone calls with the team and be like, Ooh, what about this? And what about that? And they were so incredible. And they're so receptive to everything. the only thing that got turned down.

[00:17:16] Aysanabee: Uh, which got turned down basically immediately. It was like, I was like, what, what if we got a hologram?
[00:17:23] Aysanabee: And there's this like, there's going to be no budget after that. And I was like, okay.

[00:17:29] Rosalyn: [00:17:30] can't wait for you to get your hologram show. One day it's

[00:17:32] Rosalyn: going to

[00:17:33] Aysanabee: now I don't even know if I want to do it. Did you see the kiss announcement? They're like, we think our band deserves to live on forever. It's just like, Ooh, but yeah, I was like on the phone with them and like going back and forth through emails and like. I had a really great team to work with, like Jen Sikdeo was doing tour management at the time for me, and then, Kudus was like my MD for the show, and, Amanda was helping, just all the back and forth, because there was a lot of moving [00:18:00] parts, and Northern Cree, like we were able to work with Alan Graz, who like manages them, and like I'm just, I've become such good friends with Alan, like, I don't have enough good stuff to say about him too, but even like, yeah, the whole Junos team, and like, Putting together this show for just like three, it was like three, I think we got three and a half minutes, which I think was like pretty good amount of time,

[00:18:19] Aysanabee: But then so it was like we played We Were Here and like that song itself We had to chop something out because, like, we were playing with North and Cree, and, like, we have them on the satellite stage, and it was so [00:18:30] cool, because, like, it looked even cooler than I, thought it would in my mind, because, like, I remember talking to the Junos team and being like, yeah, I want when they come in, like, like, every time they hit the drum, like, they're on that satellite stage, and it lights up, so I'd love for, like, every time it hits, like, the floor glows and pulses with every hit, and then they ended up just making it look so much.

[00:18:49] Aysanabee: Even cooler with that idea. It's like it was a real like privilege to be able to like work with that team like, you know, I'm a musician and they're set designers [00:19:00] and stage designers and they just absolutely perform so well at those things So it's like such a cool collaboration and

[00:19:07] Aysanabee: So one thing is like, we finished playing and I remember like getting on that stage and people were like, savor the moment. And I totally know what they mean now, because like I went up there and then it was just over. Like the first thing in my mind, it was just like, Don't mess this up. And then it was over.

[00:19:25] Aysanabee: cause then I did the media walk. So like they, I went to the back and like went through all the [00:19:30] press and the journalists and stuff. And by the time I came back, Nickelback was like on the last 20 seconds of their song. So like I missed the whole event. which like, you know, it's, it's great.

[00:19:40] Aysanabee: journalists are sitting there and they're wanting to talk and stuff. But like part of me was like Man, like, I know how much work I put into that show, like, I know every other artist did the exact same thing, so I can watch it on YouTube, but it's never gonna be the same as being in the room, and like, feeling the heat from the taijo, and just like, getting the bass from the subs and stuff of, of the room, [00:20:00] and, and applause, and like, everything, like, there's certain things you only get from being there in person. then there was like the next day, where it was just I was in the airport by myself. And I just watched the video that someone put on Instagram. And then there was like, this point in the show we finished the last chorus, and then like, Steve gets up to speak, and it's just like this silence.

[00:20:25] Aysanabee: And you just hear like an indigenous woman do like a lelele call, and [00:20:30] suddenly like, the crowd just erupts, and it was just like such an intense moment, cause like, I was playing through it, but like, just to kind of be able to, you know, watch it the second time, and just see that moment, it was like such an intense amount of like pride,

[00:20:43] Aysanabee: And, oh man, I just like put on my sunglasses in the Denver airport and just wept. I was like, shit, I still gotta make it all the way across this massive airport. I was like, no, no, no, no, no. And I'm like trying to like squeeze through people, just like, trying to like just [00:21:00] compose myself.

[00:21:00] Rosalyn: there was not a dry eye. I don't think that, that saw that performance. I saw that, performance, I was full, ugly cry. Like it was so, beautiful and, intentional. The music was gorgeous. The whole stage production was gorgeous and the, the message was, Really, really beautiful, and, I'm glad that you got to, see it on, from both sides. You

[00:21:18] Rosalyn: know?

[00:21:18] Aysanabee: Yeah, exactly. And like I was so honored that Steve, Steve and that whole crew joined us and oh man, I like, I just tell the story. It was so wild because like I got there, we got to the [00:21:30] Junos, and we had like a day early and then we we, we went to meet up with, uh, Steve and the crew. And I just remember going up to one of the drummers that was with Steve and I was like, well, what'd you think of the song?

[00:21:41] Aysanabee: And he was just like. Well, why don't you play it for me? Well, I'll tell you what I think. And I was like, Oh my God, you haven't heard the song yet. We're like two days away from the show. but Steve and, uh, his son, Joel, like they're the drum leaders and like, they knew the song. So like, it's just a whole different, what they do is different than what I do in the band [00:22:00] does.

[00:22:00] Aysanabee: Right. Like, so like. They just, they just follow each other and they have this whole rhythm, this whole thing that they do and so, but I didn't know that. I was just like, Oh my God, you didn't hear the song. Um, but then like it all just came together. Like we had like a couple of dry runs the day before.

[00:22:17] Aysanabee: Yeah, it was such a crazy moment such an incredible, thing that I kind of. Get the privilege of having a memory bank.

[00:22:26] Rosalyn: Yeah, no kidding. it doesn't seem like anything's [00:22:30] certainly slowed down from there. it seems like you've been on the road a lot. has it been pretty? constant?

[00:22:35] Aysanabee: Yeah, I mean there were some things this summer which like, I remember very specifically my agent Stephanie being like, I cannot believe that worked! And this was like, bet she was just waiting to say that until that weekend was over to be like, oh my there was some routings that was just like, Sarnie, Ontario to Cartagena, Spain to London, Ontario to

[00:22:59] Aysanabee: [00:23:00] Squamish, BC.

[00:23:01] Aysanabee: And, she asked me, like, I gave her consent for everything. I was just like, but this was like months prior to it actually happening where I was just like, yeah, it'll be fun. Let's do it. but then like, as time went on and like, there was certain routings where I was just like, Ooh, that's gonna be a tough one. But it was so great.

[00:23:18] Rosalyn: especially since you're like early in your career. Everything's exciting and, like, it's hard to say no to stuff when it's like, you know, includes an adventure,

[00:23:28] Aysanabee: Yeah, no, exactly. And [00:23:30] so like, there are times when you're tired, but then it's just like, you know, You always say stuff with the words around, with this perspective around. It's like there's sometimes where you're gonna be like, uh, But then you're like, you know, I don't have to do anything. I get to do this.

[00:23:43] Aysanabee: So, it was a pretty crazy tour and then kind of to cap it off, we, did like the opening slot for Dan Bang and, and, um, yeah, that was nice. That was like just nice and cushy, to be honest, like, because I thought I was going to be like renting a car and like driving behind him the whole time, but, because I was by myself and,[00:24:00] like, I didn't have a sound guy. I didn't have an accompaniment. I didn't have anybody. They had room on the bus. So he's just like, no, like you're, you're, you're part of the team.

[00:24:07] Aysanabee: So come be on the bus. And so it's like, it was so nice to just like, I don't think that's normal. So it was such a privilege to be able to. Just be on the bus, not have to worry about driving to the next spot, being able to sleep and be rested for your performances. And it was like a super wholesome tour because I knew it would be too.

[00:24:26] Aysanabee: I was like, I don't feel like Dan is gonna be like pulling out a bottle [00:24:30] of tequila at the end of the night and like staying up till four in the morning. And yeah, it was super chill. he's really like conscious of making sure he puts on really good performances for all his people.

[00:24:39] Aysanabee: So Yeah, it was like such a good experience to be on that bus and see how like, a performer and an artist at that level and how they go about doing their tours.

[00:24:49] Aysanabee: And uh, Dan was just always open, like if I had any questions, even if they're awkward questions, I've just been like, well, how much do you pay for that? It's just like, it's like you share the [00:25:00] knowledge, you know, it's like, it's, it's, I don't know why, uh, some conversations and stuff just feel.

[00:25:04] Aysanabee: awkward, but it's like all very relevant to being in the music industry.

[00:25:08] Rosalyn: Yeah, it's shop talk, you know? I agree that I think sometimes people are pretty guarded about certain info like that, but it's, not helpful,

[00:25:15] Aysanabee: Yeah, I want to know. I was like, how much does this tour bus cost? Like how much money do I need to make every night to be able to be on one of these buses? This thing rocks.

[00:25:25] Rosalyn: Absolutely. Dan's such a nice guy. Seems like, there was a really the Dan Mangan [00:25:30] tour and, wellness spa or something,

[00:25:32] Rosalyn: speaking of like cool tours, you have, one coming up soon with Alison Russell, right?

[00:25:37] Aysanabee: It 23rd, and then it ends, March 24th, I believe. I think we were playing one show in Halifax during the Junos, and one in Lunenburg Junos. yeah, I'm really excited about that.

[00:25:51] Aysanabee: it's going to be a really, really good tour. And a bunch of youth from Sandy Lake. So I'm from like Sandy Lake First Nation. And so the chief and council wants to send like [00:26:00] a little group of some of the youth from the community to come see our show in Winnipeg.

[00:26:05] Aysanabee: the Winnipeg like is, is the closest city to Sandy Lake on the whole routing of tours that we're doing. And Sandy Lake, they have like these like Charter planes, small, like maybe 14 people can fit in them that will like either just go to Winnipeg or Thunder Bay. so it's really neat that they're going to come out and kind of see a show.

[00:26:24] Rosalyn: That's huge.

[00:26:25] Aysanabee: Yeah. You know, it'll be, good. Like I'm not sure how they're going to like figure out who comes when they're [00:26:30] not, they like hold some sort of contest or something. at the end of the day, like, I think chances for people to come out and see new things and experiencing things is good, especially in isolated communities like that, where it's easy for people to kind of feel trapped and kind of feel like the whole world is going on.

[00:26:43] Aysanabee: And then, it's not taking you with it. And so, like, that leads to a lot of issues in, in places like that. Like, there's a lot of, mental health issues. And, and, it'd be good for them to come out.

[00:26:53] Aysanabee: And,

[00:26:53] Rosalyn: it's a neat opportunity. they get to, hopefully inspire some. kids, you know, and, [00:27:00] show a, like a really interesting path that folks can take if they choose to, you know.

[00:27:04] Aysanabee: Yeah, no, exactly.

[00:27:06] Rosalyn: do you think of yourself as a folk musician?

[00:27:08] Aysanabee: I find myself just through habit falling into folk, like I'm just like experimenting with different sounds. And I think there's definitely a little isms that every kind of artist always kind of picks up and then that starts becoming their little signature, whatever. But like, I definitely find.

[00:27:25] Aysanabee: the songs, even when I start writing them, they sound really folky. we've definitely like massaged songs [00:27:30] for them to sound less folky, but I definitely find out of habit, I tend to go down a more folky singer songwriter kind of road. but it changes drastically too, even when I switch over and like play, you know, I piano instead of guitar. and it alters it a bit. I mean, I consider myself part folk artist for sure. Like,

[00:27:48] Rosalyn: I like that you, feel rooted in there, when you like think of the folk tradition is like the music of the people and the music of the land, then like, is all indigenous music, the folk music of, Canada in [00:28:00] its own way of looking at it, and whatever you are doing to it and wherever you're taking it, it's just a part of that folk process of like transforming it into, whatever you're imagining.

[00:28:09] Aysanabee: You're blowing my mind right now. I tell you, I didn't think of folk music as like a a direct kind of nod to wherever it was, like folk of Germany will sound different than folk of Australia. why conversations are great.

[00:28:23] Aysanabee: you have a new E.P. Out . Can you tell us about your new project?

[00:28:27] Aysanabee: yeah. Yeah. Like I put out, an EP on the [00:28:30] 20th of October and it was, wild to me that we even were able to put that out. And I know, uh,

[00:28:36] Aysanabee: like my PR person is like, don't talk about, you wish there was more songs on it, but I do, I wish I could have sat down and kind of put, cause we wrote a lot of songs for it, but it was just like, we're so busy, performing and playing that it was kind of hard to, find time to record these songs. But it's important to do that too, because some people can make an album and they don't make an album for five years, but I just Me personally, I do find it hard to kind of just go and, play [00:29:00] the same songs over and over. I can do it for a certain set of time, but I feel like after a while, you just start becoming a different person.

[00:29:07] Aysanabee: And so you stop connecting to those songs as much because it's like you're just kind of looking at like a, like a photo album or something from the far past, you know? It's, I made time to make new songs and, The elevator pitch on the EP, it's a, it's a, it's a break up album, you know, that not much, I don't want to say not much has happened, but like it's, I haven't had time to like really kind of sit down and [00:29:30] reflect on certain things, so, I don't know, I think every album or every song I put out and write and stuff always kind of has like this kind of personal element to it, and kind of like, I've always kind of, from a young age, processed things with music, and kind of Augmented it with little emotions, a little personal context, and yeah, it translates.

[00:29:51] Aysanabee: It's just something that I was kind of, I always kind of personally do.

[00:29:55] Aysanabee: Well, I was like, interesting too because I didn't know if I was going to put these songs out. I've written a ton [00:30:00] of songs about it, and I just wasn't sure. how much of your life do you keep to yourself, you know, and, and it's not like I'm out there writing songs that are like, Oh, I, I, I hate what he left the dishes on the counter.

[00:30:11] Aysanabee: Like there wasn't like, there wasn't really like specific things. So that helps. But this person I was seeing, is finishing up their, breakup records. So I'm like, we're still not like on talking terms yet, but like. Slowly been talking through the song

[00:30:25] Rosalyn: Whoa, weird.

[00:30:27] Aysanabee: it is kind of interesting I'm like kind of interested to kind of [00:30:30] sit down whenever that record starts coming out to kind of like sit with both of Projects and just kind of listen, like, it's a very kind of interesting and special thing that artists and musicians, I don't know, to get like a true side A and side B of the same story and not to say that B or A, like they're, they're both on equal weight, but like, it's like to have two sides of the same story, it's like

[00:30:52] Rosalyn: there's your merch concept right there. It gets like, you know, one EP on one side of the record, one EP on the other side. [00:31:00] and just, last question, I was wondering if you can leave folks a nugget of advice, for anybody who's, wondering if they should stick with it

[00:31:08] Aysanabee: yeah, I mean, any helpful tips as far as the business aspect of it. Like, honestly, loads of things I've learned, Merch is incredible. Like, it was, it was wild going on, like, the Dan Mangan tour and seeing how much merchandise they went through.

[00:31:20] Aysanabee: Like, I never thought so many people would want to buy a t shirt with my name on it. You know, it's like, wild how much merch, a lot of the time the merch will kind of like outpace what you're actually getting paid for the [00:31:30] show.

[00:31:30] Aysanabee: so, make sure you're getting merch, grants, mean, work with a grant writing company.

[00:31:35] Aysanabee: To be honest, getting like 90 percent of something is better than getting 100 percent of nothing. Like, I think they take a pretty low fee for the work that actually goes into the grants, because like you obviously tell them all the information, like what the project's about, but then like there's this whole language in the grant world, so it's good to have somebody who speaks that language to kind of, help you get your points across stronger, SeriousXM, oh my god, everyone get your music on [00:32:00] SeriousXM, you don't need a million streams to get, actual money that helps, there's so many channels on SeriousXM, like, I don't know if you, what you gotta do to figure out, this is the kind of music I make, these are the SeriousXM channels that play that kind of music.

[00:32:14] Aysanabee: How do you Get your music onto there, whether or not it's, who manages those playlists. Cause that really helps. I guess definitely just making sure you have time to kind of create as well.

[00:32:25] Aysanabee: I felt like This year was really crazy busy where I kind of just like decided[00:32:30] to like build in moments in time where I'm just like blocking this off because I'm going to go into studio more these days. you know, it fills my cup to kind of just turn on my equipment and shout into a mic for hours on end, so Maybe that doesn't work for everybody, but that self care is important maybe I'm just lucky that my self care continues to be making music But you need to to fill your cup because otherwise you will, you will burn out

[00:32:55] Rosalyn: Well, that's. incredible advice. That was, You gave us like more nuggets that was like a [00:33:00] cup of advice. Thank you so much.

[00:33:01] Rosalyn: I really appreciate it. I know you're, you're so busy and it means so much that you just took the time to chat with us today.

[00:33:07] Aysanabee: Yeah, no problem. It was great.

[00:33:08] Rosalyn: well, I hope you have a wonderful upcoming season and look forward to seeing you hopefully soon.

[00:33:13] Aysanabee: Yeah. I look forward to it. Talk soon.

[00:33:21] Rosalyn: That's all for this episode, friends. The ReFolkUs Podcast is brought to you by Folk Music Ontario. Find out more by heading to folkmusicontario.org/refolkus. That's R-E-F-O-L-K-U-S. The podcast is produced by Kayla Nezon and Rosalyn Dennett and mixed by Jordan Moore at The Pod Cabin. The opening theme is by King Cardiac, and the artwork is by Jaymie Karn.

[00:33:45] Rosalyn: Please give us a download, a like subscribe, rate and review to let us know you're listening.