Aysanabee

Aysanabee (Ace-in-abbey) is a two-time JUNO award-winning alternative indie artist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and singer-songwriter. He is Oji-Cree, Sucker Clan of Sandy Lake First Nation, a remote fly-in community in the far reaches of Northwestern Ontario, Canada. He now calls Toronto home and began creating music under his mother’s maiden name when moments of stillness allowed him to slow down and create music that, he says, more accurately represents himself as an artist. With a swirling mix of indie, soul, and electronic sounds, and pulse-quickening fingerpicking, the music is both hypnotic and melodious.

On March 23, 2024, Aysanabee made history as the first Indigenous artist to win the JUNO Awards for Alternative Album of the Year and the coveted Songwriter of the Year, for his EP Here and Now.

With Here and Now (Oct 2023), Aysanabee moved in a new direction toward his own experiences of love’s end and his process of unflinching self-examination. His debut album, Watin (Nov 2022), named after his grandfather, includes ten tracks and nine interludes featuring the voice of his grandfather that combines music and journalism with artistry and expression.

His music has garnered an extensive list of accolades and support. In March 2023, he became the first Indigenous artist to hit Number 1 on Mediabase Canada’s Alternative Rock chart. He has been short-listed for the 2023 Polaris Prize and performed close to 300 shows on major stages, festivals, and venues across Canada and globally.