Get ready for a subgenre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock and country. Country Rock was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal styles, and additional instrumentation, most characteristically pedal steel guitars. Country Rock began with artists like Bob Dylan, the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the Flying Burrito Brothers, The International Submarine Band and others, reaching its greatest popularity in the 1970s with artists such as Emmylou Harris, the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Michael Nesmith, Poco, Charlie Daniels Band, and Pure Prairie League.
Country Rock also influenced artists in other genres, including the Band, the Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Rolling Stones, and George Harrison’s solo work, as well as playing a part in the development of Southern rock.
And now the FNMI is happy to offer you some of the best Country Rock & Roll by some of the best local and international artists to come play live in your community, Settlement or Territory.
For more Information or to Book a “Country Rock” Band of you choosing, please contact the Programs Director @ 587-973-0202.
Tia Wood
Woods grew up on Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta, Canada, where she quickly picked up singing and dancing, often performing with her family on the powwow trail. In both of Wood’s Cree and Salish cultures, singing is often performed to the beat of a drum and performed in their traditional languages. On TikTok, Wood will sing songs her father composed or pieces she wrote herself. She’s one of many Indigenous creators on TikTok who is proudly championing her culture, such as Cree dancer James Jones, who brings powwow dancing and educational videos to the app with more than 2 million fans.
Growing up as both Cree and Salish was such a blessing, because Tia got to learn about two very different tribes and teachings and combine them into one. In her mom’s tribe (Salish), women are allowed to touch drums, but in some of her dad’s tribe (Cree), they are not. Also, the food is amazing from both tribes! Salish has fish and berries, and Crees have moose, duck, deer, and rabbit, so I guess you can say Tia had the best of both worlds.
Jayli Wolf
Jayli Wolf is an artist like no other, and I do not say that lightly. Raised in a doomsday cult, Wolf’s musical adventure is just that – an adventure. Approaching music not just as an art form but as a space for spiritual healing, the queer indigenous artist creates with a vulnerable and infectious fervor.
The result is her debut EP, Wild Whisper, a striking recounting of generational trauma, growing up in a Doomsday cult, and finding the strength to embrace her sexuality. Rather than have us tell you about it, we invited Wolf to speak on her arresting debut EP and the real-life experiences that inspired it.
Tanya Tagaq
Tanya Tagaq is an improvisational singer, avant-garde composer and bestselling author. A member of the Order of Canada, Polaris Music Prize and JUNO Award winner and recipient of multiple honourary doctorates, Tagaq is one of the country’s most original and celebrated artists. In 2014, Tagaq sent shockwaves through the music world with Animism. The album’s Polaris Music Prize victory disrupted the music industry and contributed to a change in conversation about Indigenous artists. The follow-up, 2017’s Retribution, brought Tagaq’s inimitable and powerful artistic vision to even broader audiences. Tagaq’s recent projects include debut novel Split Tooth, nominated for the Giller Prize and other awards, and National Maritime Museum commission Toothsayer, a soundscape for the permanent “Polar Worlds” exhibit.
Tagaq’s improvisational approach lends itself to collaboration across genres and forms. Her work includes numerous guest vocal appearances (Buffy Sainte-Marie, Weaves, A Tribe Called Red, Fucked Up), original avant-garde classical compositions (Kronos Quartet, Toronto Symphony Orchestra), commissions (National Maritime Museum in London, UK) and more. Her music appears in film soundtracks (Thoroughbreds, Searchers) and television (Vikings, Sirens). In its many forms Tanya Tagaq’s art challenges static ideas of genre and culture, and contends with themes of environmentalism, human rights and post-colonial issues. In interviews, Tagaq stresses the importance of considering her work in the context of contemporary – not traditional – art.