At the heart of great songwriting is great storytelling. For The North Sound, songs are a declaration of joy, a hallmark of yearning, and a tender tale of honesty. Yet amidst the rawness, trials and tribulations, there are notes of hope and happiness. This is the duo at their best: Sharing stories in the way they know how.
Forged deep in Treaty 7 Territory, where the prairies rush towards the foothills, The North Sound is a partnership between lead singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Forrest Eaglespeaker and vocalist and composer Nevada Eaglespeaker. A fusion of authentic voices, crisp harmonies and rollicking/burgeoning indie folk-roots rock, the duo — a married couple — weave and wend through themes of family and connection, recovery and addiction. As partners who play and write together, the themes of family, love and sacrifice are inescapable — in their shared sojourn, Forrest and Nevada have forged the core of a rock solid collaboration. And at the heart and soul of the group is an incredible story of two people who stuck it out and found a collective voice to breathe life into tribulations and traditions.
“This is how I pay homage to my heritage as a Blackfoot person, an Indigenous person,” says Forrest. “I express this through song and story, and use the tools that we’ve been given to survive genocide.”
The topics of their stories aren’t necessarily light — they might hit you in the gut. But they also aim to make you sing along as well. While Forrest's voice guides the listeners through intergenerational trauma, the duo lets their audiences relate in their own way. It’s when The North Sound play live that the intimacy and honesty shines through.
“When we are onstage, we aren’t trying to hide behind anything, and we don’t hold anything back,” said Forrest. “It means I might be too honest, but that’s okay. It’s the space that we create where we let ourselves go into the moment.”
“Sometimes it’s 50-50 when it comes to singing and sharing stories,” adds Nevada. “It’s what draws the audience.”
Over the past ten years, after releasing several albums and numerous singles, The North Sound have crafted a signature sound that has found both accolades and acclaim. Since beginning in 2014, the duo has seen four of their singles reach number one on the Indigenous Music Countdown as well as Saskatchewan’s MBC Radio, while also winning SaskMusic‘s Indigenous Artist of the Year award two years running (2020, 2021).
And on What It Takes, their most recent full-length album, The North Sound proves they are only just getting started.
A dashing rhythm set to the prairie-soaked twang of Americana and roots, the duo’s latest material sees them breaking new ground and honing in on their already well-defined features. Lead-single “Wash Me Away” finds The North Sound anchoring their songwriting with instantly-hummable melodies amidst a rollicking twirl of indie folk and alt-country. Graceful and gracious, the group never loses their swagger while tackling some heady lyrical themes. While Forrest’s lyrics span across haunting metaphors from everyday experiences to personal realities, Nevada’s powerful vocals adds a richness and interplay between their two, distinct voices.
Signed to the independent Indigenous record label New Sun Music out of Nashville, TN, USA, The North Sound have once again tapped the award-winning powerhouse production team of JUNO award-winner Crystal Shawanda and her partner Dewayne Strobel. While returning to familiar faces in the studio made the transition into Nashville all the smoother, their latest efforts saw the group breaking new ground. A snapshot of the last two or three years for the couple, What It Takes is filled with songs both raw and full of life, a catalogue of vignettes fully lived from both partners’ perspectives.
“We went for a more honest, real record,” says Forrest. “There’s not an excess of editing. It’s done very organically, and it’s reminiscent of the nostalgia and analog sounds that we both love.”
The album also saw Nevada spreading wings, diving into composition and editing. While Forrest takes on much of the writing, Nevada challenges the ideas, gives suggestions and interjects with a talented ear for the melodies and harmonies that give the songs both structure and soar.
Having built up an impressive resume with a broad range of influences and talent, Forrest and Nevada remain grounded by the tenets of their songwriting that keep them humble, and the stories that put living well first and foremost. Having forged their place amidst redemption, gratitude, and active recovery, The North Sound are currently in the best place they’ve ever been. And now, in-between home and the road to the next show, they invite you to come along on the journey.