'Music is medicine': Shawnee Kish on her new EP, identifying as two-spirit
Edmonton-based singer and songwriter Shawnee Kish is performing live on Aug. 6 at Together Again -- after nearly two years of virtual concerts.
At the onset of the pandemic, the performer said her career was put on hold.
“The pandemic changed my entire career path. Everything sort of went into a screeching halt when we went into lockdown,” Kish said.
During moments of darkness and struggle, Kish uses music as a form of therapeutic healing.
“Music is powerful and music is medicine. Music can heal and provide a sense of safety and comfort," she said.
The product of that time at home is a new album. Kish describes the new EP as different from anything she has previously released.
“Through this EP, I am expressing my truth and my story. My voice has developed into this soul voice -- I am so happy and at peace and loving where this place in my career is.”
Kish is two-spirit -- a term used to describe Indigenous people with masculine and feminine spirits.
“That is something I transitioned into through my coming out process. It started when I was younger and when I reclaimed my heritage as an Indigenous person,” she said. “I’ve learned that being two spirit is celebrated through our ancestors and celebrated through our time, and it gives me peace, confidence, and comfort to know that.”
· Edmonton Olympian and musician married by Rachel Notley
The singer uses music as a form of expression and encourages others to be authentic and true to themselves. She hopes to use her platform to show others they belong and to embrace their unique identities.
“My EP is different than anything I’ve released in the past. I feel like I’ve really grown in these past few years. I’ve gone through a lot sort of through my career and also personal life,” Kish said.
She dedicated the album, which will be released June 25, to Indigenous people celebrating Pride Month.
The Together Again concert series takes place at the Edmonton Exhibition Lands. Tickets can be purchased online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.