Saskatoon record label mentors young Indigenous artists

A brand new document label in Saskatoon is providing a singular perspective and alternatives for younger artists within the province.

Stay Royal Records co-creators Raistlin Morning Owl and Michael Tootoosis say their focus is on supporting and elevating up younger Indigenous artists in the province. Their choice to create the document label in the course of the pandemic was fuelled partly by their very own experiences as particular person artists.

Each Morning Owl and Tootoosis at present make their very own music by way of the label and provide events to advertise newer artists becoming a member of their collective.

The co-creators additionally name themselves a one-stop store. live performance

“We purpose to clearly information and nurture the artist inside them and stuff like that,” mentioned Morning Owl, “However as soon as doing that we additionally do manufacturing providers. The visible and music manufacturing, audio engineering, recording, mixing and mastering after which the promotional stuff as properly.”

“We like to depart it as much as them as a lot as doable with what they’re going to do and what they need to create and we simply assist alongside,” he added.

In addition they provide steerage on making use of for presidency grants– one thing that often feels formidable to their younger artists.

“We prefer to maintain it as a group, as a household, as a powerful group that everybody has their again with no matter they want,” Tootoosis mentioned. “We at all times return to our important objective of supporting the youth as a result of loads of them are anxious or much less assured in themselves.”

After lower than a yr of operation, the label at present helps seven artists and need to develop.

Saskatoon-based hip-hop artist Damien Daniels says he’s honoured to be one of many first.

Daniels is releasing new music this yr with the document label and kicking issues off with a photoshoot.

“They opened new doorways for me by way of photoshoots, music movies… Simply extra alternatives,” Daniels mentioned. “It felt like a household and that was the most important factor for me.

“It was extra like a cushty way of thinking on a regular basis — heat and welcoming. It was simply enjoyable proper from the get go. It made me need to do extra, write higher lyrics, actually harness my expertise and present them what I’ve to supply.”

He mentioned his ardour began when he was simply an adolescent in Muskeg Lake Cree Nation.

“Round 13 or 14 years previous is after I actually began entering into music. The group there may be nonetheless battling it’s younger youth… They’re probably not discovering their spot in life,” Daniels mentioned.

“Simply popping out of that and now being that position mannequin is sort of a breath of contemporary air.”

He mentioned pursuing his desires with the assistance of the brand new label is one thing he hopes will make his household and group proud.

“It’s actually superior being part of one thing like this,” he mentioned.