The North Sound
with Mimi O'Bonsawin

For The North Sound, songs are a declaration of joy, a hallmark of yearning, and a tender tale of honesty. Yet amidst the rawness, trials and tribulations, there are notes of hope and happiness. This is the duo at their best: sharing stories in the way they know how.

Forged deep in Treaty 7 Territory, where the prairies rush towards the foothills, The North Sound is a partnership between lead singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Forrest Eaglespeaker and vocalist and composer Nevada Eaglespeaker. A fusion of authentic voices, crisp harmonies and rollicking/burgeoning indie folk-roots rock, the duo — a married couple — weave and wend through themes of family and connection, recovery and addiction. As partners who play and write together, the themes of family, love and sacrifice are inescapable — in their shared sojourn, Forrest and Nevada have forged the core of a rock solid collaboration. And at the heart and soul of the group is an incredible story of two people who stuck it out and found a collective voice to breathe life into tribulations and traditions.

The North Sound

The North Sound was formed in 2014 by lead singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Forrest Eaglespeaker along with his partner Nevada Freistadt who composes and provides vocal harmonies.

Keeping true to the traditions of Forrest’s heritage, The North Sound was created to share stories of Forrest’s Blackfoot identity and traditions from Treaty 7 Territory. With a no-holds-barred approach to songwriting, Forrest’s lyrics span across haunting metaphors from everyday experiences to personal realities.

The band’s lyrics and music are a balance that incorporate today’s modern production techniques and writing sensibilities inspired by great storytellers like Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris. The North Sound is signed to the independent Indigenous record label New Sun Music (Nashville, TN USA), created by JUNO Award winner Crystal Shawanda and her partner Dewayne Strobel.

“[Forrest is] a great country songwriter. [He has] a gift for the way that music sounds.”
– Tom Power, CBC “Q”

“Led by Blackfoot singer-songwriter Forrest Eaglespeaker, The North Sound’s dusty country-rock tunes feature lyrics that veer away from the genre’s usual fare, coming more from a place of pain and healing than reckless abandon.”
– Scott Ross – Exclaim!