Mixing musical genres isn’t easy, but the Wisconsin-based band Bizhiki makes their fusion of traditional Ojibwe powwow singing, indie rock instrumentals and electronic dance flavor seem effortless.
“Some of these sounds are sometimes reserved or tucked back into certain circles or places,” says singer and drummer Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings. “But what we’ve done is take them and release them all into one room together.”
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Of their instruments, you’ll hear a synthesizer, guitar and bass, but also hand drums with stretched elk hides that create a very distinct sound. Intriguing and intricately layered, Bizhiki’s sound also stays true to the band members’ upbringings and priorities. For example, the piano-heavy song “She’s All We Have” focuses on preserving the natural environment for future generations.
“The vocal parts of that song are what I used to hum to my babies when they were fussy, and it always calmed all three of them down,” Jennings explains. “I thought about when I hold my children, with all the uncertainty in the world these days and the polarization and all these different problems … what their future is going to be like. Will there be places for them to have access to clean water, or will there still be the other things we need to survive and for our communities to thrive?”
The synthesized, upbeat “Gigawaabamin” speaks to the importance of community and personal connections. “We don’t have a word for goodbye in Ojibwe, so we say ‘gigawaabamin,’ which means ‘until we see you again,’” Jennings says.
The band’s moniker comes from Jennings’ Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe given name, which means little buffalo. Other group members include fellow Native singer Joe Rainey and Bon Iver drummer S. Carey. The three first came together years ago at the Eaux Claires music festival and have been slowly building Bizhiki ever since.
Jennings says the group shares appreciation for their heritage and respect for each other’s different musical abilities.
“We’ve all worked with different types of musicians, so things really came together organically,” he says. “There’s a long history of our culture, whether it’s our music or our patterns and designs, being appropriated. And so, there’s definitely a layer of protection on our end where we’re kind of constantly thinking about how and what types of spaces we should share our music. Having a strong group of individuals that had really good respect for one another helped create a safe space for us to be able to try something new musically.”
After releasing their debut album, Unbound, in July, the trio toured Wisconsin playing shows from Fish Creek to Stoughton, and Jennings says they’re planning another trip around the state – including shows in Milwaukee – for 2025.
“We’re constantly thinking about how and what types of spaces we should share our music,” he says, adding that the project goes beyond just sound. “We realized, too, that this was an opportunity to contribute towards the normalization of our music and our songs as Indigenous people.”
