Manitoba's Dee Erin Band gets WCMA nomination
27 nominations have been handed out to Manitoba artists and industry members
Manitoba's Dee Erin Band from the Opaskwayak Cree Nation has been nominated for aboriginal recording of the year at the Western Canadian Music Awards.
The band, made up of a mix of people that came from other bands, joined forces three years ago and has since released an album, Broken Road, and embarked on a Canadian tour.
"I am so pumped, so excited," lead vocalist Darren Bignell told CBC's Radio Noon on Wednesday, after finding out the band got the nod from a Twitter announcement.
Aboriginal Recording of the Year, presented by <a href="https://twitter.com/APTN">@APTN</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/andreamenard">@andreamenard</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/deeerinband">@deeerinband</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IndianCityMusic">@IndianCityMusic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/leelagilday">@LeelaGilday</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/rellik">@Rellik</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/tagaq">@tagaq</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BOW2015?src=hash">#BOW2015</a>
—@BreakOutWestBignell said the band writes about things that everyone can relate to — life and love — since the band has a wide age range. Bignell said he, at 46 years old, is old enough to be Kenneth Henderson's dad.
"Aside from trying to write songs, we always share stories, like interpersonal stories, like what we've gone through and are going through, and where we'd like to be," he said.
"A lot of our songs we've lived, they're all about being in relationships, loving people and being part of a family. That's basically what all of our songs are about."
Bignell uses the song Turn it Up as an example, "It's a driving song and you can picture it — you're driving away from a relationship, that ultimately doesn't work out in the end."
Connecting with the community
Between the six members of the band, some have chosen to give back to the Opaskwayak Cree Nation by giving guitar lessons at the youth centre. Bignell said it is astounding how much talent the community has to offer.
The band finds it important to connect with the community's young people — their responsibility, even.
"To look them in the eye and show them it's possible, to make that connection, it fills your heart," Bignell said.
"We did it, we've done it and you can do it also."
27 nods to Manitobans
The Western Canadian Music Awards have 27 nominations pegged on Manitoba artists and industry members.
There are some repeat names on the list, with Tanya Tagaq getting four nominations, including World Recording of the Year for her album Anamism.
CBC's Up to Speed host Ismaila Alfa is also nominated for Urban Album of the Year.
This year's awards will be held in Victoria, B.C., Sept. 17-20.