Winnipeg-based Anishinaabe singer-songwriter Ila Barker is set to release her new album Fool Under Water on October 28 via all streaming platforms.
Produced by Sierra Noble and Rusty Robot, Fool Under Water is a highly personal collection of songs that embody Ila’s journey to healing after leaving an unhealthy relationship. On the album’s first two singles, “Intuition” and “25”, thoughtful lyricism is paired with stunning vocal capabilities to form ballads that are as powerful as they are relatable.
The album’s title track “Fool Under Water” is an especially meaningful song, as it’s a metaphor for how toxic relationships can feel similar to drowning. While water is beautiful and calming, it contains a power that demands respect, because it can wash you away in a moment. Similarly, abusive relationships often start with a whirlwind romance and quickly turn as dark as the ocean at midnight.
“Fool Under Water is a reflective journey,” says Ila Barker. “On this journey, I take you through my story and crawl out stronger on the other side. For anyone else who has struggled, I hope this music is a moment to help you take back your power.”
Ila has taken the stage at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Regina Folk Festival, sākihiwē festival, and opened for Jeremy Dutcher’s sold out performance at the Indian River Festival in PEI. Following the release of her self-titled debut album in 2013, Ila took time to mindfully refine her artistry, embarking on a creative evolution, and emerging with a self-determined sound.
In the spring of this year, Ila released “Intuition”, the first single from Fool Under Water,which hit number one on the Indigenous Music Countdown. In August, the album’s second single, “25”, was released alongside a cinematic music video filmed in Mexico and directed by Patrick Shannon of InnoNative, which premiered on Entertainment Tonight Canada. Fool Under Water is in honour of Ila’s metamorphosis into the powerhouse she is today and a promise that the tide will turn.
In addition to creating and performing music and as an act of reciprocity, Ila mentors emerging Indigenous artists in AIRsessions, her self-curated music workshop series.
ILA BARKER – FOOL UNDER WATER
- Intro
- Intuition
- Fool Under Water
- 25
- Wildfires In The Snow
- Circles
- Vulnerable
- Time
- Girl I See You
- The End
- Outro
