JUNO Award Nominated Indigenous Folk Duo, Burnstick, Release Poignant Sophomore Album, Made of Sin
Evoking a spectrum of emotions through poignant storytelling and harmonious melodies, JUNO-nominated folk duo Burnstick has spent over a decade crafting deeply resonant music that strikes a chord with audiences. Husband and wife duo Nadia and Jason Burnstick share a dynamic kinship that extends beyond music, infusing their compositions with emotional authenticity and intimacy. Their carefully crafted sonic tapestry features cinematic soundscapes, enveloping vocal harmonies, and Jason’s mastery of the century-old Weissenborn guitar. Through their comprehensive musical designs aimed at sparking emotion, Burnstick’s thought-provoking lyrics share stories that often leave listeners reflecting on their own experiences, feelings, and memories. Five years after their nationally acclaimed debut album, Kîyânaw, Burnstick unveils Made of Sin, their remarkable and poignant sophomore album.
Released in 2019, their JUNO-nominated debut album, Kîyânaw, introduced the remarkable creativity of Burnstick to Canada. Their track “Some Kind of Hell” earned the duo a Canadian Folk Music Award for Single of the Year, accompanied by nominations at the Western Canadian Music Awards and Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards in both 2020 and 2021. Beyond their success in the music industry, Nadia and Jason Burnstick have ventured into film and television, composing and recording numerous songs for the Canadian TV Drama “Little Bird”, the 2023 “INDSPIRE Awards”, and many others. Additionally, Jason’s talent in scoring extended to projects like “The Legacy of The Residential School System 2020” for Parks Canada, among numerous others. Burnstick’s music has resonated across all of Canada, earning them airplay on SiriusXM, and CBC, and appearances on CTV Morning Live. Their Spring 2024 tour across British Columbia featured multiple sold-out shows and saw the duo welcome a new, dedicated fanbase everywhere they went.
Infusing meaning in both lyric and sound, Burnstick’s sophomore album, Made of Sin is a meticulously composed project brimming with riveting harmonies and personal stories that challenge the confines of Contemporary Folk. Five years in the making, the duo dedicated their efforts on capturing the precise tones, timing, and lyrics, to share tales written about relationships, including their own, the ones they have with others, the people and experiences from the past, and the importance of being open to understanding one another in personal and societal relationships.
“Our album cover represents our connection to each other with two hands tied together, how we are all connected in some way even if those relationships are not easy.’ Nadia shares. “By the end of the album, there is a photo of two hands willingly together, representing the progress we strive for towards better understanding each other.”
Covering topics of indescribable love for family, the quickness of time, and the special moments we wish we could relive, the album also features a revelatory, emotional song about Jason’s first-hand experience as a Sixties Scoop survivor. The artwork for the album is made up of a series of photographs carefully taken by Nadia that represent the meaning for the project, and each song.
The title track from the album, “Made of Sin”, was one of the first songs written for the project.
Jason shares,
“hearing about the Indigenous children of the 215 shook me to my core. 11,000 and counting. I think about it all the time, and at that moment I wanted to honour them. “Made of Sin” is about the different stages you go through when dealing with childhood traumas.”
Opening with a gentle acoustic guitar melody and Jason’s tender vocal, the song sheds light on his experience in the Sixties Scoop; feeling responsible, longing for his family, anger towards the boarding school and the foster families, and the eventual realization that he was in no way responsible for being taken from his family. Nadia’s rich voice joins Jason, creating a supportive, nurturing, and textured harmony. Beautiful and haunting, on “Made of Sin” Jason softly creates a powerful connection between himself, Nadia, and the listener, as he eloquently shares his experiences, and honours the voiceless victims.
The first single from the album, “Closer” is a moving song about the willingness to do anything necessary for loved ones, featuring a cinematic melody and the distinctive juxtaposition of Nadia and Jason’s remarkably deep and feathery soft vocal harmonies. Inspired by the overwhelming love they felt following the birth of their son, Burnstick wrote “Closer” as a manifestation of that love, a prayer for guidance in being able to support him in every way and asking for the power and strength to lead him through the ups and downs of life. “Moonlit”, a poetic, upbeat love song for family members who have passed on, shares the inspiration and courage those loved ones had given to the duo, and how their memory both inspires and guides them. On “Hands Tied”, Burnstick offers their audience a moving invitation to avoid being bound by the finite constraints of time, and to spend the time they do have with those they care about most. The album closes with “Go Back”, a warm, stripped-down song that acknowledges all of the ups and downs in their journey, where they long to return to their favourite moments together.
Infused with riveting harmonies, unforgettable melodies, and skilled storytelling, Made of Sin captures the tumultuous nature of the world and the experiences within it. Nadia and Jason draw upon the chapters of their own journey to skilfully explore themes of love, time, and poignant moments, while also delving into the darker experiences of life. A fiercely creative duo dedicated to the finest detail of their work, Burnstick’s sophomore album “Made of Sin” reveals, for a second time, why the duo is one of the most exciting artists in the Canadian Folk music scene today.
Upcoming Shows:
Tuesday, June 11 – International Indigenous Music Summit, Showcasing Artist – TD Music Hall Toronto, ON
Friday, June 21 – Red River Exhibition, Red River Exhibition Park, Winnipeg, MB – 5:30 pm
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