[Cover photo credit to Nadya Kwandibens]
Northern Canadian Roots-Rock artist Adrian Sutherland’s latest musical collaboration is with youth from the remote northern James Bay region.
Sutherland travelled to Kashechewan First Nation three times over the past year to write a song with a group of local teens. A project undertaken as part of their ‘Choose Life’ program, “I’m Not Afraid” is a positive song that “carries the message of hope and connection” and is brought to life in an accompanying music video.
Sutherland is an Indigenous artist from Attawapiskat on James Bay. His melding of Roots, Rock, Folk, and Blues creates a signature sound and style, drawing inspiration from his life, the land, and his Cree language and culture.
Sutherland’s first book, The Work of Our Hands: A Cree Meditation on the Real World, is being released on December 30th, 2025 by Penguin Random House Canada. The official launch event takes place January 15th, 2026 at Another Story Bookshop in Toronto.
Adrian Sutherland would like to acknowledge and thank the ‘Choose Life’ program from Kashechewan Health Services & Nishnawbe Aski Nation for supporting this special creative project. He would also to acknowledge and say thank you for the ongoing support of his northern regional airline, Air Creebec.
