LISTEN / SHARE “RED DRESS” HERE
BUY / STREAM “RED DRESS” HERE
SPRING TOUR DATES CONTINUE JUNE 6 - FULL TOUR DATES BELOW
EVAN REDSKY’S LATEST ALBUM, THE LANGUAGE OF FISHERMEN, OUT NOW VIA VICTORY POOL RECORDS
BUY / STREAM THE LANGUAGE OF FISHERMEN HERE
Photo Credit : Emma Greenfield // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
Today, punk-rocker / folk storyteller Evan Redsky is sharing the new single, “Red Dress” on Red Dress Day, or National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S+). “This song began as a tribute to women I knew and lost during my time working as an Indigenous youth worker in Toronto,” says Redsky. “It later took on new weight in response to the news coming out of Winnipeg a few years ago, and the ongoing reality of the MMIW crisis.
“I was feeling the exhaustion and frustration of the 24-hour news cycle, and the way stories like these so often receive fleeting attention despite their deep roots in our shared history. With this song, I leaned into the folk tradition of protest trying to create something grounded in that lineage, but shaped by my own lived experience.”
LISTEN / SHARE “RED DRESS” HERE
BUY / STREAM “RED DRESS” HERE
Single Artwork // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
MORE ABOUT EVAN REDSKY + THE LANGUAGE OF FISHERMEN
Growing up on the Mississaugi First Nation reserve of Blind River, Ontario, Redksy was often compelled to hitchhike to Toronto to immerse himself in the city’s burgeoning punk and hardcore music scene. Redsky recalls sleeping under bridges and on construction sites, dedicated to making music happen. At 19 years old, Redsky started performing with punk outfit Single Mothers, going on to perform with the JUNO Award-nominated group everywhere from local clubs to Primavera Sound to the Pitchfork Music Festival. However, as the group saw increasing success, Redsky felt more and more empowered to explore other musical paths and tell his own stories.
Seeking inspiration for this latest record, The Language Of Fishermen, Redsky happened upon the works of celebrated Ojibwe author Richard Wagamese. Many of the songs on The Language of Fishermen were inspired by Wagamese’s stories, especially those from his autobiographical book One Native Life.
Redsky, like Wagamese, is Anishinabek, and the two share the experience of growing up in the bush, on reserve, and navigating between cultural worlds. Between honouring Wagamese’s words and sharing his own reflections, Redsky’s The Language of Fishermen contains a lifetime of feeling—including honouring the often overlooked positive moments of simplicity and fulfillment.
As for the stories in Redsky’s The Language Of Fishermen, his desire to share them can be traced to his prominent lineage of storytellers within his community. Notably, his great-grandfather, James Redsky, whose book The Great Leader of The Ojibway was published by the University of Toronto in the early 1970s. James Redsky was a prominent member of the spiritual group known as the Midewiwin and was one of the last people to possess ancient birch bark scrolls depicting centuries-old etchings that informed the community of much of their pre-colonial history.
WATCH / SHARE “COSMIC CAROUSEL” (OFFICIAL VIDEO) HERE
The theme of healing on The Language of Fishermen — and questioning if, when, and how healing can be accomplished — comes from Redsky’s own journey in the past few years. Through meditation, sobriety, and music, “The healing journey is constantly transforming,” Redsky says. But having known many Indigenous people who need permission to forgive themselves, and allow the healing process to begin, this song feels boldly overt, honest.
A couple decades into making music, with many more stretching out ahead, Redsky’s story is one of staying committed over the years, trusting the process, and trusting himself. Like the rolling highways Redsky sings of the song, “Northern Road”, with a “starry night beyond those headlights that could go on forever,” Redsky’s journey goes on.
SPRING TOUR DATES
June 6th, Toronto, ON @ El Mocambo (imagineNATIVE Film Fest)
June 11th, Sudbury, ON @ Lounge 390*
June 12th, Hamilton, ON @ Mills Hardware*
June 13th, Toronto, ON @ Dinas Tavern*
June 14th, Picton, ON @ Beacon & Brew*
June 15th, Montreal, QC @ Quais De Brumes*
July 3rd, Toronto, ON @ Pennys with Lebarons
July 17th - 19th, Dawson City, YT @ Dawson City Music Festival
with Ian James Bain*
