The Great Spirit is in all things, he is in the air we breathe. The Great Spirit is our Father, but the Earth is our Mother. She nourishes us, that which we put into the ground she returns to us… – Big Thunder (Bedagi) Wabanaki Algonquin
Mike Bern, Wolastoqiyik singer-songwriter from Tobique First Nation, releases his first single as a solo artist. Formerly of Indigenous Music Award winning bands Kickin’ Krotch and District Avenue, Bern keeps his alternative rock roots while exploring a more Canadiana sound.
“The Story of the First Mother” is from the book “The Red Man“; woven together with my own impression of the tale.” Known for integrating cultural storytelling into songs, Bern continues “A Penobscot Native wrote the story in 1893 about a mother who sacrificed her life to give food and gifts to the starving. Legends of Mother Earth. I wrote it in my version to keep the stories alive.”
The single is almost a mix of Dirt era Layne Staley meets southern gospel, and if it’s any indication of what else we’ll hear from Bern in the future, we’re in for a treat when the full LP is released later in 2018.
You can check out “First Mother” here.
For more information: https://mikebern.com/
