First Listen Fridays: Shawnee

Welcome to the premiere episode of First Listen Fridays! Over the next 12 Fridays, we'll be dropping exclusive first listens and chatting about all things music with a dozen of today's hottest Indigenous artists. This week, we're stoked to share with you Shawnee's brand new single, Warrior Heart. Written as a response to the suicide crisis in Northern Canadian communities, the track was recorded with PowWowStep producer DJ Shub at the Villa Sound studio in Ontario. According to Shawnee, the song "acknowledges and speaks to the youth in native communities dealing with, and battling, depression and suicide," and draws on her own struggles and experiences. Certain to become an anthem for generations to come, Warrior Heart abounds with emotion, empathy, empowerment, and - most of all - hope.