Today, singer-songwriter iskwē | ᐃᐢᑫᐧᐤ (short for waseskwan iskwew, meaning “blue sky woman”) feels extreme loneliness on “A Little Piece,” the final single to be released ahead of her fourth solo album, nīna. Listen to “A Little Piece” here and watch the official video here.
“Feeling overwhelmed, I was faced with myself alone and the choices I had made over the past several years. With conflicted feelings of longing, remorse, and loneliness, I felt caged by a sentiment I could neither explain nor understand. I was alone. My mind had fooled me,” shares iskwē. “My tears felt endless, and yet somehow, this new solitude wrapped itself around my sadness like a giant cozy blanket I could not imagine emerging from ever again. A little piece of me had died, yet I found a little peace inside.”
nīna, the opus of iskwē’s rebirth, is the Cree translation for “me” and was chosen as the title of her new album as an ode to the profoundly autobiographical elements. The album, due April 12th, is the sonic manifestation of the divine feminine explored through vignettes of love, passion, anger, betrayal, and loss.
“I remember the exact moment I wrote this song,” says iskwē. “I was sitting at a beautiful grand piano while attending an artist residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts. It was just after dinner, early evening, but it was completely dark outside as it was winter, and the sun had already set a few hours back. I felt the darkness wrap itself around me as I sat in this large room, alone, just me and the piano. I felt the heat of my tears creeping down my cheeks and the echo of quiet lingering behind each note I played. I allowed the moment to just hold me, and me it, as the song fell from my tears onto the keys.”
The forthcoming album is featured on CBCMusic.ca’s “can’t wait to hear” in 2024 albums list, and they state, “iskwē is offering us a re-introduction to who she is today — and it just happens to be filled with plenty of bangers.” Exclaim included on their Most Anticipated Albums of 2024 and said: “If single “I Get High” — featuring none other than the legendary Nina Hagen — is any indication, nīna will find iskwē scaling brand new heights.” Produced by 10x GRAMMY nominee Damian Taylor (Björk, Bomba Estéreo, The Killers), the album will also include her FIRST-EVER Top 20 Alt-Rock single “I Get High” Feat. Nina Hagen, “Sure To Come,” “End Of It All,” “Part Two,” and “Waiting For The Laughter.”
