For Adrian Sutherland, touring gave him an eye-opening opportunity to experience life outside of his Cree community.
“When I started traveling more for my music, my family still lived in a very old house, which had mold in it at the time,” the musician said. “We’ve had no clean drinking water flowing into homes in my community for my entire life and I’m 47 years old. I’ve lived without water, my kids have lived without water and now my grandkids, too. In recent years we’ve been able to better our circumstances. But back then, it was very hard to leave them to go on the road.”
Sutherland resides in Attawapiskat First Nation – a Cree community in Canada’s remote Northern Ontario on the western shore of James Bay. On his new album “Precious Diamonds” – out March 15 – Sutherland wrote two songs in Cree as an homage to his heritage. Fans may stay in touch with him on social media (@attaboyadrian), his website (http://www.adriansutherlandmusic.com ) and Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/6kLy0FIyVxqDVuvivOiuPZ).
Q: Were any of the songs on “Precious Diamonds” written while you were on the road?
A: All of the songs were written at different times. I write songs when I’m on the road and also at home – whenever they come to me.
Q: Why did it take you so long to record some songs in Cree?
A: I didn’t feel comfortable writing in Cree before, but as I’ve become more comfortable with writing songs and making music, now it feels like more of a natural fit. I’m pleased with how the songs turned out. Fans are saying they can feel the emotion in “Notawe (Father)” without even having to understand the lyrics, so that’s been nice to hear. It’s the first time I’m releasing songs [including “Kiyash (Before)”] in my native language, even though I’ve been recording music since 2013.
Q: Do you feel that there are certain phrases or words that resonate more in Cree than in English?
A: Yes, some words in Cree cannot be expressed too easily in English. For example, I recently visited a place where my family hunted many years ago, and was overcome with so many emotions at once. We say pee-ke-skat-den-den, which is a way to describe many emotions all at once – mostly sad emotions. But in English, there is no word I can think of that has the same meaning.
Q: What kind of trips do you anticipate taking this year?
A: I’ll be traveling for business and shows mainly here in Canada. The summer schedule is now in the works. I’m also hoping to get to the United States, maybe in September, to Nashville for AMERICANAFEST. That’s one event I’d like to attend.
Q: What was your impression of the U.S. during your first visit?
A: My first-ever trip to the U.S. was when I went down to Nashville to record 10 tracks for my upcoming album. That was in June 2023, and I spent roughly 10 days down there. The experience was one that I won’t be forgetting soon. I really enjoyed my time in the city. One thing that stuck out most was how genuinely interested people were in who I was, where I came from and why I was in Nashville. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to visit any other cities or states while I was there. I was in the recording studio most of the time. But the next time I get to travel to Nashville, I’d like to spend a little more time exploring the region.
Q: Is there a childhood trip that stands out?
A: Spending one summer in Canada’s capital was something I remember very well. We got to meet many other First Nation kids from all around Ontario and spent a week camping in the Gatineau Hills in Quebec. This was the first time I saw bullfrogs. I couldn’t believe how big they were! It didn’t take long for us boys to muster up a plan to throw one bullfrog into the girls tent at night. Ah, the joy we felt when they were startled!
Q: Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A: I’d like to travel to the U.S. and also Europe. I got to go to Germany in 2019 with my band Midnight Shine when we were invited to perform at the Reeperbahn Music Festival in Hamburg and showcase in Berlin. That was my first time ever leaving Canada, and it was exciting to think that I’d be traveling across the ocean. Also, Egypt has always called to me. I’m not sure why, but I feel like I need to visit that place someday.
Q: Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
A: Zipping up to my hunting camp, which is even further north than my community of Attawapiskat. In the winter, we usually travel up by snowmobile and in the summer we go by boat. Getting away for short periods of time out on my traditional lands allows me to recharge and briefly let go of all the troubles in the world. It’s a nice escape.
Q: What are your five favorite cities?
A: Toronto, Vancouver, Nashville, Ottawa and Winnipeg.
Q: What is your guilty pleasure when you’re on the road?
A: Fast food. We actually don’t have any fast-food restaurants where I live, so it’s a treat for me to have that kind of convenience when I’m in another city.
Q: What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?
A: My best vacation memory was when my wife and I took our kids to Canada’s Wonderland for the first time. It’s a big amusement park just outside of Toronto, and we all had a blast! The worst vacation memory was one time when I burst a blood-vessel in my eye and had to rest for the remainder of the trip on doctor’s orders. That wasn’t a very fun trip.
(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and travel writer. You can respond to this column by visiting her website at www.jaehakim.com. You may also follow “Go Away With…” on Twitter at @GoAwayWithJae where Jae-Ha Kim welcomes your questions and comments.)
