cree

I suppose technically she is from Winnepeg, Manitoba but you wouldn’t know it. Iskwe has a road map on her back that she travels on butterfly wings.

Citizens of Culture  asks a few seemingly random Q’s to the Canadian in the hopes that we can get a few folks down here hip to one of our most interesting imports.

Citizens of Culture: So your name is…?

Iskwe: Iskwe

COC: Is that a stage name…?

Iskwe: Not really, I have two names, Meghan,  and Wasiskwan Iskwe, it means ” Blue Sky Woman”  in my native language , Cree, most people just call me Iskwe.

COC: Great. So what’s your music ‘aboot’?

Iskwe: ‘Aboot’?

COC: Your from Canada right!

Iskwe: Haha, I don’t say it like that.

COC: Why not, is that country?

Iskwe: Oh no, maybe I’ve been here [US] so long that it kinda goes away until I hear it again.

COC: Ok, well back to the music. What do you write about?

Iskwe: My relationships with people. how I interact with people, romantic relatioships, how I see someone living their life, to whatever give me a feeling.

COC: What genre would you call it?

Iskwe: Trip Hop/R&B, I listen to alot of reggae so there is that influence.

COC: What instruments make up that sound?

Iskwe: I depends… Everything from the full Keys, Guitar , Bass, DJ, Trumpet, Violins, all the way down.

COC:Whats your favorite song of yours?

Iskwe: It’s called “So Over You”, Its about being sick and tired of somebody trying to push me around.

COC: Do tell…

Iskwe:  This person got on my F**king nerves and tried to make me the other woman! So I said, ” No thank you”, in a no-so-pleasant way and wrote a song about it.
COC: So this is from experience?

Iskwe: Everything is from experience.

COC: QUICK! What’s your favorite color?!

Iskwe: Blue , Royal Blue, I love all rich colors.

COC:What is a moment that changed your life.

Iskwe: Well, I was in Vegas for All -Star Weekend a few years back talking to this new found friend about what I wanted to do with my life.I was working but I wasn’t where I wanted to be with my career and he said ”  Come to New York or move to LA” this was probably about 6 in the morning after an after party. “You gotta go at it 100%” A few months later I sold my condo and moved to LA.

COC: Did you know anybody out here?

Iskwe: Acquaintances but not anything real. I just packed up my bags and moved away.My girlfriend convincing me to go to All -Star Weekend changed my life.

COC:What makes Iskwe now?

Iskwe: I’m just this girl that likes to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Its better to be busy than bored even if your just resting. I feel like I should be doing what I want not what I have to, I am not good with deadlines. As soon as something becomes an obligation I am over it, even if it is something I love to do.

COC:You have tattoos I see…

Iskwe: Yes I have three, soon to be four.

COC: They are…

Iskwe: The side of my neck I have Cree syllabics, the back of my neck I have butterfly wings and inside each wing is a map, but that is a long story. Lastly, I have a Haida frog on my left shoulder for healing.
: What do you want your audience to get from you.

Iskwe: Feel the music and enjoy the show.

COC: Perfect. I am sure they will.

Iskwe is currently touring the single “So Over You” in  US and Canada, for more information about check her out on Facebook orTwitter.