WATCH / SHARE “PUT ‘EM DOWN” MUSIC VIDEO (FEAT. TERRY UYARAK AND HIS DOG SLED TEAM) HERE
BUY / STREAM “PUT ‘EM DOWN” HERE
THE TRADE-OFFS NEW LP, let go, give in, fall down, OUT NOVEMBER 4, 2022 VIA AAKULUK MUSIC
Photo Credit : Joshua Qaumariaq / Jeff Maurice // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
On their new record, let go, give in, fall down, The Trade-Offs have refined their unique sound with a blend of deeply personal Inuktitut and English lyrics singing the Arctic blues about universal themes of darkness and light and closeness and isolation. Arctic Soul, the band’s iconic brand, is distinguished by the deep brooding voice of Josh Qaumariaq and soulful backing of Jeff Maurice, Galen Pelley, and Michael Eckert set against blues and rock and roll sounds echoing from the depth of the Northern tundra.
Today, they share the new music video for “Put ‘Em Down”, the second single from their upcoming album. Directed by Iqaluit's Simeonie Kisa-Knickelbein it features JUNO Award nominated artist and Aakuluk Music labelmate Terry Uyarak and his dog sled team of Chico, Tarrak, Allaarjuq, Qairulik, Tarsaq (deceased), Siku, and Allak.
“Throughout the 20th century many Inuit families recall the Royal Canadian Mounted Police deliberately killing sled dogs to force Inuit into government run settlements,” says Qaumariaq. “Put ‘Em Down is about this sad story and about the effort to put us as a people down and erase our culture. A truth many do not know a lot about because it has been kept so quiet. This song's release has been timed to coincide with Orange Shirt Day, a day of reflection in Canada about the treatment of Indigenous people.”
Of the music video the songwriter notes “It is a response to the sombre lyrics of the song. Where the song speaks of the sad history of colonization in the North, (specifically with regards to the RCMP dog slaughter) the video shares a message of hope. Featuring Igloolik musician Terry Uyarak and his dog team, the music video highlights both the utility and importance of huskies while showcasing Inuit resiliency in the face of colonization.”
Video director Simeonie Kisa-Knickelbein adds, "Being able to create such beautiful art out of a messy past is one of the many amazing talents of The Trade-Offs. It was extra special to work with Terry Uyarak and his dogs to showcase the amazing strength of communities across Nunavut."
WATCH / SHARE “PUT EM DOWN” MUSIC VIDEO (FEAT. TERRY UYARAK AND HIS DOG SLED TEAM) HERE
BUY / STREAM “PUT EM DOWN” HERE
MORE ABOUT let go, give in, fall down
The lyrics “Crowberry Hill” sums up the spirit of let go, give in, fall down, the Iqualit band’s second full-length record. Due out on November 4, 2022 via Aakuluk Music, let go, give in, fall down – in both its title and in the content of its nine tracks — is about how to bend, but not break; it’s about how to survive and find hope in the North amid loneliness, isolation, and deaths of close relations.
“It’s just the feeling of the album,” says lead singer and guitarist Josh Qaumariaq. “From losing people to being alone, you just gotta let go, give in, and fall down.”
There’s solace and joy to be found here, too. Lead single “Qanuirunniilaarmijuk” is a patient, smoky alt-country sway that switches between English and Inuktitut lyrics, while Michael Eckert’s slide guitar whines and croons in the background. “The title means, ‘things will be okay again,’” says Qaumariaq. “Things get tough, and you have to remember to say, ‘Okay, this is crazy right now, but it’ll calm down.’ I thought it was important to put it out right away, especially for Inuit.
WATCH / SHARE “CROWBERRY HILL” HERE
BUY / STREAM “CROWBERRY HILL” HERE
The blues rock stomp of second single “Crowberry Hill” is a love letter to Qaumariaq’s home, and the rituals, both simple and critical, that he and his kin have built there. ‘Hunting down young ring seals/Glassy lakes and long big fields/Now you know, baby, where I come from!’ he calls on the chorus. Across the record, Qaumariaq howls and roars like the Arctic wind, then broods and glows like late-night embers in the hearth, while the band swaggers between rootsy, earnest alt-country, -rock, -blues, and -soul.
The Trade-Offs—Iqaluit-based members Qaumariaq and Jeffrey Maurice (bass, backing vocals), along with Toronto collaborators Eckert (pedal steel) and Galen Pelley (drums)—recorded let go, give in, fall down over six days at Toronto’s Orange Lounge Studio with producer JP Maurice (Jeffrey’s cousin). Jace Lasek mixed the record and Philip Gosselin mastered it.
Qaumariaq says it’s the record he and Maurice have always wanted to create, finally pinning down the sound they’d been chasing for 10+ years as a band. “We finally feel so good because we sound like ourselves,” says Qaumariaq. “This album means a lot to me, and I finally feel like I have something that feels like me.”
let go, give in, fall down TRACKLIST
01 Crowberry Hill
02 Qanuirunniilaarmijuk
03 Put Em Down
04 Taaqtumik
05 Push Myself Away
06 Never Knew
07 Let Go Give In
08 Almost Fell In