After being previewed by the singles “Not Undone” and “Reservation Road” the highly anticipated new album by NADJIWAN, The Mission, is out now via Heading North Music and on all streaming platforms.
The year 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of NADJIWAN, the musical project and alter ego of Marc Meriläinen. During that time, the Toronto-based singer/songwriter, guitarist and producer has amassed an impressive body of work steeped in his heritage as a member of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation Cape Croker, along with his love of alternative rock in its various forms.
The Mission marks that milestone perfectly with another impressive collection of traditional-meets-alternative rock songs, with lyrics that reflect on the joys and sorrows of Meriläinen’s upbringing, from the lasting trauma of his mother’s experiences within the residential school system to the frequent communal celebrations that forged his love of music.
However, what sets The Mission apart from the rest of the NADJIWAN catalogue is the extent to which Meriläinen and his crew went to bridge those worlds as never before.
“My long time collaborator, friend and co-producer Ron Skinner suggested we record in New Mexico,” Meriläinen says. “We both have connections there; I've performed at various festivals and events in New Mexico over the years and Ron has been working with a studio based in Clovis. Also, the landscape and scenery is breath taking, which is very inspirational when it comes to recording. We set up a makeshift studio in a century-old church—St. Joseph Mission—on the Mescalero Apache Reservation.”
Once the logistics were worked out, Meriläinen says that he spent a month working out the material to record, some of which consisted of older ideas that he had yet to expand upon. But the album’s overriding vision was to capture the wonder of the New Mexico landscape, which was achieved, in some cases, with cinematic splendour.
That commitment to telling the stories of Indigenous peoples has been the guiding force behind NADJIWAN’s output, as on the acclaimed 2023 album The Great Sea, recorded in Meriläinen’s hometown, Thunder Bay, Ontario, and the ambitious 2021 album Star Nation, which combined prog-rock with Indigenous mythology. Moreover, Meriläinen has produced many other notable Indigenous artists, including the late Kelly Fraser, while most recently he teamed up with the innovative world music outfit Sultans of String, touring with them in support of their album Walking Through The Fire.
It’s all contributed to Meriläinen’s musical evolution, and the ever-expanding NADJIWAN sonic palette. The Mission is the latest step in that evolution.
