With Adrian Sutherland living in Attawapiskat, and Stan Louttit in Moose Factory, both band members have to fly out of their communities for every single Midnight Shine performance and professional opportunity.

We rely extensively on Northern airlines, and Air Creebec provides a reliable and comfortable way for us to travel to and from shows, while safely shipping their musical equipment along with us.

Oh, and they make good coffee, too! 

Air Creebec was established in June 1982, and today, is completely under Cree ownership. The airline employs employs over 350 people, and operates 19 aircraft registered with Transport Canada. Air Creebec is committed to providing top-quality airline services in Quebec and Ontario, and continue to pursue excellence in their field.

Thank you Air Creebec for your support!

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Back when I was in high school (a long time ago, haha!)  I was into music and did well in music classes and school performances. I also really liked art classes and made wall murals and other Pink Floyd-like images. I wasn’t the best, but it was a fun way to express some of my tastes.  

 

My approach to photography is loose and unplanned. Sometimes I’ll go for days or weeks without seeing something that I think would look interesting.

 

When I find a sky or sun that looks dramatic, I will grab my camera and take multiple shots of the scene. Since light and movement change slightly every second as the earth is in motion, I try different camera speeds and different F-stop settings, to let in more or less light. 

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My youngest can already fish on his own. His catch totaled 45 fish, a mix of char and trout – impressive for an 11 year old! They both got to see how traps were set, which is something that has almost completely died off in James Bay. It’s important for them to understand the past to help them see the path forward. This trip only scrapes the surface of what their parents, grandparents, and great grandparents would have endured on the land.

My son-in-law and brother arrived shortly after we turned back because Jr. was too cold to continue tracking fresh moose tracks. “We got two bulls!” said my brother with much excitement in his voice. All of us were happy to have fresh meat, so we hurried off to gut and skin the kill.

It’s not easy skinning a bull moose, and it’s twice as hard in winter when everything seems to slow down from the cold. The hide is almost an inch thick in some places and your blade dulls quickly. If you’re not careful to wipe the blood from the blade before taking it to a file, the file ices up and won’t sharpen a blade.

We’re also working against short daylight hours, and a little boss who keeps yelling at us: “When you guys going to be done, and what’s taking you so long?” Sometimes Jr. lacks patience and understanding at his age, so we work our butts off to please him.

Working my butt off has become the story of my life – not only on the land, and at home, but also in my work as an entrepreneur, and in pursuing a career in music. This has not been easy. We have been working hard on the new Midnight Shine album, and sending tracks to a few industry people to listen to. We are excited by the new music, but I’m feeling frustrated by what a few prominent radio trackers said.

Don’t get me wrong, like every other band, I, too, would like to have commercial success.  But let’s face it, if you’re not Coldplay or some other superstar that everybody already knows, it’s very rare that you’ll ever be good enough for a radio trackers’ ears, or for commercial radio to put your music into rotation.

I often to listen to Apple Music’s rock playlist, called ‘The A-List’, carefully studying the production, arrangements and lyrics. I do hear a difference in sound and style between artists, but a lot of it begins to sound the same to me. Something else I’m very confused about is how crappy songs get into regular rotation on commercial radio. It’s like they play the same artists, over and over, no matter if the songs are good or not. At the same time, they don’t want to give new artists a chance. Guess I’ll never understand that whole world.

I’m trying desperately to fit into the industry, but can’t help but feel like an outsider. Maybe it’s all part of building the brand, paying your dues, and starting at the bottom of the totem pole.

I’m chomping at the bit for the music to really take off, but keeping a positive outlook and believing that good things are on the horizon. With the third album mostly complete, I feel good knowing that all the hard work will eventually come to fruition.

It’s been an awesome experience meeting so many people this past year and being in the same company as great musicians like Jim Cuddy, Dallas Smith and Sam Roberts, and NHL greats like Daniel Alfredsson and Troy Crowder. Experiences like this have really boosted my confidence, and remind me that slowly but surely, we are gaining ground.

Looking back now, I can see just how far I’ve come.

The post Survival: On The Land, And In Music appeared first on Midnight Shine.

Jack’s last days at home in Moose Factory were spent surrounded by the love and comfort of his family, friends and community members. Though battling illness, he listened to the Cree hymns and prayers with grace, strength, and fearlessness. He passed away with the same honour that he lived his life. I’ll never forget his words: “I guess I’m going home now.”  

This same fearlessness, grace and strength had been with Jack all his life, and served him well. He enlisted in the military in 1944 at 18 years old, and was honourably discharged in 1946 after serving in England, Netherlands and Germany.  He was an infantryman and bombardier during his service in the War. After returning home to Moose Factory, Jack began married life with Doreen Louttit (Stan’s aunt), and raised a son Billy and daughter Irene.

Uncle Jack, as he was called by many, was proud to be involved with St. Thomas Anglican Church. He could be found there every Sunday ringing the church bell – something he did for 50 years.

In the last few years, Jack always took part in local Remembrance Day ceremonies, and could be seen smiling with his gentle, warm, embracing personality, standing proud with his War uniform. He always had a happy “hello there” for you if you met him on the street, or in the stores.  

Midnight Shine would like to thank “Uncle Jack” for the ultimate sacrifice, courage and strength that he embodied in showing us, and so many people, how you should rise to every challenge in your life.  He would want us to be strong, work hard, respect our parents and grandparents, and love ourselves. Just like he did in his life. Meegwetch “Uncle Jack.”  

The post Remembering Moose Cree First Nation Elder Jack Wynne appeared first on Midnight Shine.

George initially learned to play guitar in Grade 6, when his teacher decided that the entire class be taught guitar by a nun. Guitar seemed to come pretty natural to George, and he picked it up quickly. Soon he was asked to perform during church services, and for the next few years he played guitar for Sunday mass and other functions.

Drums entered George’s life when one of his friends suggested he take up percussion class. Since a bunch of his other friends were also joining, George also joined – and discovered a real talent for drums.

George’s musical influences came from the rock genre – whatever was broadcasting on Wawatay Radio, or whatever cassette tapes he could get his hands on.

Today, George might actually hear himself on Wawatay Radio – since the station plays a lot of Midnight Shine music, including the single Northern Man, which spent three weeks at #1 on the National Aboriginal Music Countdown.

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Attawapiskat has been struggling with the suicide crises, and that’s only one issue among multiple problems that exist here. These issues are deep rooted and have been around for as long as I can remember, and have only gotten worse in recent years. But, we’re doing everything we can to change as a community. Today I witnessed something very encouraging, the youth committee meeting with Chief and Council to discuss a plan to deal with the issues. An understanding was reached and they are working closely together on a strategy to move initiatives along.

A month ago I felt compelled to do something, but didn’t know how to help. Besides, who am I to try to solve this very complex issue? So I decided to turn to music and invited ArtsCan to come do some workshops. I had no clue what to expect, and it was amazing to see the kids coming out to sing, and see the process of music production. We laughed, made music, and expressed ourselves through this beautiful art-form. I believe we accomplished what we set out to do, which was to inspire these kids, and show them that anything’s possible.

My highlight was when the kids were asked what song they wanted to sing, and they said James Bay. I couldn’t believe it! Of all the great artists and songs out there, they chose one of Midnight Shine’s songs. This really touched my heart, and words can’t begin to explain how I felt that night. Today, I’m happy to share with you Attawapiskat’s recording of James Bay:

The post Connecting With Youth Through Music appeared first on Midnight Shine.

I had to travel to Toronto last weekend, before the start of Canadian Music Week. We had rehearsal space booked, and also had several media interviews lined up in advance of our CMW showcases. In order for me to get off the island, my only choice was to charter a helicopter and be airlifted to Moosonee, where I have to go to catch airplane flights. And I wasn’t even sure if the helicopter would be flying, because it was snowing at the time, and it’s often grounded when it snows!

The helicopter pilots and crew made sure I got to the airport on time. The two connecting airplane flights went well, too, and after a long day of travel, I was excited to finally touch down in Toronto – one of my favourite cities. It has so much to offer in terms of great live music, entertainment, restaurants, and a bustling energy. It’s awesome to be here, be part of Canadian Music Week, and to feel like you’re part of one great city as you walk its streets and use its transit system.

The subway and streetcars make it easy to travel around, and quickly, too. Coming from a small town and entering the underground subway is a great way to feel like you’re part of the city and its culture. I’ve met helpful people willing to offer directions if you’re not quite sure you’re on the right line.

Toronto is very different from Moose Factory, that’s for sure. The photos here… one one taken on my street just last week, showing what the weather was like when I left Moose Factory. The other is a photo of the subway at Bloor and Yonge – a definite contrast to where I live.

The post Toronto-Bound From Moose Factory appeared first on Midnight Shine.

Weather has been wonky too. Most of this winter was mild and I don’t recall one snowstorm at all. I guess you can’t always have perfect conditions for the spring hunt, but it certainly makes things better.

Our trip into hunting camp took two days of travelling by snowmobile – three snowmobiles to be exact – along the west coast of James Bay on sea ice. It was a pretty uneventful drive, except for my eldest son who is 12 becoming ill the first day. But we continued on, and finally made it to our destination!

Our camp is the furthest from the village, many miles north on the Opinnigau River – the traditional territory of my family. I’ve been going there since I was a teenager and can’t get enough of it. Knowing you are the furthest camp from home can be a little nerve-wracking at times, but I have faith in the Creator. He is our protector and gives us strength and courage.

The kids had loads of fun. They got to shoot geese, experience world-class trout fishing, snare rabbits, and a whole whack of other things. It made me feel so proud, watching them grow into the little hunters they are becoming today, and knowing that I have been their teacher. When did I become the Elder?? It feels strange to now be the one teaching others. The transition was seamless because I don’t remember how I became a teacher.

I have mixed feelings about this and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because most of my Elders have already passed on. I really do miss them and the stories they shared with us. My hope is that I can live up to their expectations: keep practicing my culture, taking the kids out on the land, using my language, and respecting and acknowledging nature.

I am forever grateful for the little things in life, especially clean drinking water – something most Canadians take for granted.

I’m also grateful for the ability to go hunting every spring and fall. That means the world to me, my family, and community.

In the North, it’s our way.

The post Spring Goose Hunt appeared first on Midnight Shine.

Writing this post makes me realize how excited I am to be playing live with the band again. The four of us live in different towns in Northern Ontario, so it’s difficult to get together and rehearse. We each have our own lives to live, with bills to pay, jobs to do, books to study, etc. But, whenever we do get together it feels like a breath of fresh air, one that differs from the 9-5 routine.

We’ve been trading song ideas and demos for some time. It helps keep us up-to-date with each other musically. This past summer, we debuted two new songs at The Big River show in Moose Factory. The songs were met by the crowd with great response and has only inspired us to keep moving forward. It felt good to play live and loud again. I live in an apartment building, so I never get to turn up the amp past 10 (insert Spinal Tap reference) without annoying my neighbours. Playing on stage and finding that sweet spot is a savoury time.

When writing new songs, I try to keep a live-performance mindset — will this riff get heads bobbing? Will people sing along to this melody? Will this beat have feet tapping? I believe that aside from the technical side of playing an instrument, you also have to practice writing songs as well. With Stan, Adrian and George by my side, I know that we will only get better. Here is to more songs and more stages.

The post Itching To Play Live… appeared first on Midnight Shine.

Hailing from the James Bay region, Midnight Shine is turning heads with a sound that seamlessly mixes roots, classic and modern rock. When Ralph James first heard the band’s single Since You Been Gone from their debut self-titled album, he knew they had something special. “I heard one track and thought, if these guys play live as well as they sound on the recording, I think we’re on to something here,” says James. “And they do.”

Adrian Sutherland from Midnight Shine says the band is looking forward to developing the relationship, and seeing what can be done together. “We know that a music career takes a team effort, and we couldn’t be happier with Ralph James and United Talent being on our team.”

Also on the team is RoseAnna Schick of RAS Creative in Winnipeg, taking on the role of Midnight Shine’s manager. Schick began working as the band’s publicist in 2013, and their working relationship evolved organically to what it is today. “The guys in Midnight Shine have a ton of talent, dedication and determination. I can’t wait to see how far they can go,” says Schick.

Midnight Shine released sophomore album Northern Man in 2014 at Toronto’s Hard Rock Café, kicking off with a national television appearance on Canada AM. Now, the band is ready to take their sound coast-to-coast.

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