Metis Roots Singer-Songwriter Mitchell Makoons Shares Uplifting and Vibrant Single “Courage”
Mitchell Makoons is a roots-rock musician from Brandon, Manitoba. Makoons started playing guitar at the age of seven to accompany his grandfather and brother playing Metis fiddle tunes. He continues to be an active member of the Manitoba Metis community, writing songs that incorporate traditional Ojibway music and culture with modern influences.
Makoons has toured several times across Western Canada and has begun to break into the Canadian festival scene. In 2023, he performed at Dauphin’s Countryfest, Ste. Madeline Metis Days, All Folk’d Up Music Festival, and Winnipeg Fringe Festival, to name a few.
“Courage” is one of the seven sacred teachings used in Ojibway culture. In a new and turbulent state of life, Makoons harkened back to this teaching inspired by watching birds be carefree.Â
“All I really needed to achieve my upcoming goals was some courage, so I put down some tobacco, prayed to the Creator and wrote this song.“
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hello! I’m Mitchell Makoons. I’m a Roots/Rock artist from Brandon, Manitoba. Right now I’m currently based out of Winnipeg. I started playing music at a very young age. I was very fortunate to grow up in a musical family. My grandfather (Eldon Campbell) and my uncle (Cameron Campbell) are both fantastic Metis fiddlers. Metis roots run very deep in our family. At my grandparent’s house, there is always a fiddle hanging on the wall, ready to be taken down and played. There’s also always a cousin nearby who can accompany you on the guitar. As soon as I was able to walk I was taught how to Red River Jig. As soon as I was able to hold something in my hands, I had a toy guitar and was ready to play. Music has always been a huge part of my life. I’ve been very fortunate to have so much family support when releasing new music. After high school, I attended Brandon University and received a Bachelor of Arts (Music). As soon as I graduated from that degree the world shut down due to the pandemic. I didn’t want to stop playing music and learning, so I went back to Brandon University and got a second degree. A Bachelor of Music (Performance) through the second-degree program. The Mitchell Makoons project is fairly new. I started performing under Mitchell Makoons in 2021. Before that, I had released 4 CDs under my legal name, Mitchell Mozdzen.       Â
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
“Courage” is one of the 7 sacred teachings used in Ojibway culture. In the chorus of my new release, I sing “Creator give me courage” as a prayer to help me on my way.
I was inspired by big changes, like making the decision to pursue music full-time alongside a move to a new community. One day I was sitting on the porch watching the robins play on the ground and thought about how I was so stressed out about the things happening in my life, while they sat there carefree, searching for worms. All I really needed to achieve my upcoming goals was some courage, so I put down some tobacco, prayed to the Creator, and wrote this song. Â
How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?
My songwriting process usually starts with a mood (happy, sad, empowered) or a lyric. If I’m writing about a mood, I think of as many situations that put me in that certain mood as possible and choose the most interesting one. If I’m writing starting from a lyric, I try to build a narrative around the idea. I ask myself questions like, what perspective is the song from? Should this song be about a personal experience or should I make up a character and make this a fictional story? I tend to exaggerate my feelings a lot in my songs, just because I think it makes a more interesting narrative. This is something I picked up from old country recordings. Think Hank Williams – I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry. After I’ve got the base of the idea, I’ll write a chord progression and a melody that suits the theme.       Â
Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?Â
This song is the second last single off of my debut album, Lady Boots. The singles will all be packaged together plus 2 more originals and a traditional hand drum song. The band and I are really looking forward to this year’s festival season. Last summer I played 39 shows as Mitchell Makoons and was fortunate to have my trio or band on many of the festival dates. This year is looking promising. There’s something really special about playing an outdoor show on a summer prairie night.
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
One highlight in my career happened just this past fall when I was asked to play at the Manitoba Country Music Awards. In 2023 I was nominated for two awards, Roots Artist of The Year and Emerging Artist of The Year. The event was held at Club Regent Casino in Winnipeg and it was a truly amazing experience. I felt like a proper rockstar. I was fortunate to be backed up by some of Manitoba’s finest musicians and the performance couldn’t have gone any better. My partner and a few family members were in the audience. I was happy that I was able to put on a performance that made them proud.
Last but not least, it’s time to pay it forward, what upcoming band or artist would you recommend your fans check out?
One artist that I think everyone should know the name of is Larysa Musick. Larysa is a Winnipeg local. I’ve been really privileged to see her perform before the tickets are $100 a seat. Her lyrics and delivery are incredible. A true poet. Top that off with a wicked vibrato and tasteful fingerpicking and you get songs that should have been in your playlists yesterday. You can tell I’m a fan ha. Â
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