Medicine Singers

Today, Medicine Singers unveil “Sunrise (Rumble),” the latest single from their forthcoming self-titled debut album, out July 1st via Stone Tapes/ Joyful Noise Recordings, alongside a stirring music video. “Sunrise (Rumble)” explores the influence of indigenous rhythms in rock and roll music, and is split into two parts — one a traditional powwow song, “Sunrise,” and the other stunningly unique cover of Shawnee guitarist Link Wray’s “Rumble.” “I’m from the Pocasset tribe and not  a Shawnee, but I can relate to their struggle,” bandleader Daryl Black Eagle Jamieson says. “Link Wray put the pain of his people into the music. For me, it was an honor to expand this song, and bring out the tribal aspects with the drum and singing we added.”

Medicine Singers expands on years of collaboration following a spontaneous 2017 performance by Eastern Algonquin powwow group Eastern Medicine Singers and Monotonix guitarist Yonatan Gat. Rounded out by contributions from Ryan Olson of Gayngs, rising jazz trumpet star jaimie branch, Thor Harris and Christopher Pravdica of Swans, no wave icon Ikue Mori, and ambient music pioneer Laraaji, Medicine Singers’ debut album creates a genre-smashing kaleidoscope of sound firmly rooted in the intense physical power of the powwow drum.

Medicine Singers combines traditional powwow music with elements of psychedelic punk, spiritual jazz, and electronics in a stunning blend, and is the first record to be released on the new Joyful Noise sub-label, Stones Tapes. The artistic vision of Stone Tapes was deeply influenced by Medicine Singers’ leader Daryl Black Eagle Jamieson, whose open minded approach to experimentation shaped the label’s direction. “I look at it like this, everybody is my brother and sister, no matter where they come from,” Jamieson reflects. “If their culture or music is different, I want to learn about it, and I want to play with them. I think it’s our responsibility as artists to show the world that life is not about war and hate. Life is about music, peace, and culture. We need to communicate with people of different cultures and backgrounds. We need to show people how we can work together and make something beautiful.”