Music

Road to Polaris: A Tribe Called Red on 'Nation II Nation'

by Sam Sutherland

Founders of Ottawa’s now infamous Electric Pow Wow parties, A Tribe Called Red first found local notoriety for their original mix of contemporary electronic sounds and traditional powwow music. Their self-titled debut landed them on the Polaris long list, but the leap to 2013’s “Nation II Nation” drew even greater acclaim and a place amongst the 10 short listers. With the help of Tribal Spirit Music, they took advantage of unprecedented access to multitrack powwow recordings to produce a cohesive, original set of songs that bridge the gap between the band’s roots and the massive festivals stages they occupy today.