OMBIIGIZI ANNOUNCES NEW LP, SHAME
SHARES SINGLE & VIDEO FOR “LAMINATE THE SKY”

Today, OMBIIGIZI, the Anishinaabe-Canadian band led by Daniel Monkman (aka Zoon) and Adam Sturgeon (aka Status/Non-Status), share the news of their sophomore album, SHAME, accompanied by the single and music video for "Laminate The Sky."

"In my shame there is truth" OMBIIGIZI sings on the album opening track, laying down the atmospheric pulse of their followup to the much lauded debut, 2022’s Polaris finalist and Juno nominated Sewn Back Together. Delving into the Anishinaabe ancestry of its core members, with OMBIIGIZI's particularly sonic aspect – Indigenous futurism with a heavy dose of 90s Alt, Psych Rock, and Shoegaze – "Laminate The Sky" portrays “a visual representation of the world we are in,” Monkman says. With the first cheaply plasticized treaty cards ("that no stores would accept") as poetic reference, OMBIIGIZI's vaporous melodies, mingling with uncharacteristically stripped back guitars and gentle rhythmic propulsion, set the band's gripping sophomore album – SHAME – alight, with its perfect mix of terrestrial and spiritual elements.

"'Laminate The Sky' to us symbolizes freedom in a lot of ways," the band says. "The idea comes from these things that Indigenous people are given at birth called a status card. Back in the day, they'd give you this crappy cardboard paper with a cheap laminated seal that everyone off the reservation thought was fake. Nowadays, we have high-tech ones that I scan at the border to go work in the United States, but even ten years ago my pass to get off the reservation would be rejected in the city. It was a rude awakening in my formative years, being self-conscious of my place.”





MORE ABOUT OMBIIGIZI
The Anishinaabe revival is accelerating. Our artists are becoming more resurgent in all realms: telling the stories, singing the songs, and creating the imagery to further solidify our everlasting presence on this land. The soundtrack to this movement is diverse, profound, and beautiful. The Anishinaabe sonic revolution is richly layered and wide-reaching, inspiring and influencing all generations to gather, sing, and speak, as we’ve always done. And at the core of this renewal are artists like Ombiigizi.

Adam Sturgeon and Daniel Monkman have come together in the spirit of making noise in a good way for our people. They have documented this moment in time while paying homage to the ancestors who kept our language and stories alive. There is a deep respect and love for Anishinaabe sounds and voices. They proudly tell family and community stories, and they exquisitely conjure a hopeful future that will result from our current collective efforts to share our realities with each other and the world. - Waubgeshig Rice