Our obsession with Dead Feather seems to grow with every listen. We previously featured the visionary artist for sharing a poignant and important message with a high emotional quotient on the captivating single, American Dreams, and weaving cosmic mythology into sound with Corn Woman (Mother Woman), so naturally, we also wanted to spotlight another single from his album, Cate Heleswv (Red Medicine).

On Red Poem, we experience crowd noise with a spoken word introduction “Somebody tell me a Red Poem, somebody tell me the one about the hidden race of Indians and Riverside reservations and junk yard jungles…”

The opus expands with a jazz-funk-adjacent warm up as Dead Feather continues his monologue, reminding us raw reality of what it is like to exist as a Native American. The history of his people, their legends, and the persecutions that they have been met with.

The production evolves with sublime instrumentation as Dead Feather finds his flow, showcasing his culture with poetic prowess and depth. In essence, Red Poem is a deeply personal and socially conscious piece by Dead Feather. As a reminder, the artist is a deaf Native American from Edmond, Oklahoma. We learn that the prose was originally written in the mid-2000s, designed to capture his journey of spiritual and cultural awakening as a young Mvskoke-Creek man searching for meaning and identity amid the lingering effects of assimilation and colonization.

The lyrics explore the historical and ongoing tensions between the United States and Native American communities. The blend raw honesty, poetic reflection and political awareness. Influenced by revolutionary and activist figures like Malcolm X, Bob Marley, Leonard Peltier, and Vine Deloria Jr., the song channels a sense of awakening and resistance.

Musically, Red Poem combines the spoken word with a jazz-funk-rock hybrid sound, creating what Dead Feather calls an “audio sculpture” – a fusion of modern Native American narratives and vintage nostalgia. With the help of collaborators Adam Stanley and Isaac Nelson of the band Stanley Hotel, the piece comes alive through layered instrumentation and emotive delivery.

We have added Red Poem to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists, whilst we continue to stream the entirety of Cate Heleswv (Red Medicine), and anticipate future releases from Dead Feather!

The post Dead Feather shares a unique “audio sculpture” with poignant spoken word message and jazz-funk-rock hybrid on Red Poem appeared first on KIMU.

We recently featured Dead Feather as he weaved cosmic mythology into sound with Corn Woman (Mother Woman), taken from his album, Cate Heleswv (Red Medicine). Naturally, we wanted to spotlight more tracks from the record in detail, starting with the poignantly titled, American Dreams!

Kicking off with a brooding guitar soundscape, with astral tones, masterful performances and a throwback to Americana energy with a cerebral alternative rock twist, Dead Feather opens American Dreams with a dark wave vocal performance, signature to the wider record, as he shares metaphorical, descriptive prose with an intentional message.

The message of the track highlights Dead Feather’s resilience as a self-taught musician and exposes the mistreatment of Native American communities, preserving Mvskoke-Creek heritage. The hook, “I know you feel guilty when you look at me” speaks volumes, and brings us to tears with its high emotional quotient and what the phrase represents on a societal level.

The guitar solo is transcendental and we deeply appreciate the poetic prowess of the track. It is clear that Dead Feather creates from a place of authenticity and this transmutes through every chord, lick and note in American Dreams.

American Dreams a statement where Dead Feather transforms his lived experience, cultural history, and resilience to challenge us all to confront uncomfortable truths. His work reminds us that art can carry history, heal wounds, and spark dialogue. The recording itself took place at Doug Swindell‘s Remote Studios located in Wellston, Oklahoma with instrumentation and engineering done by Adam Stanley and Issac Nelson of Stanley Hotel.

We have added American Dreams to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist whilst we continue to stream the entirety of Dead Feather‘s incredible album, including Corn Woman (Mother Woman)!

The post Dead Feather shares a poignant and important message with a high emotional quotient on captivating single, American Dreams appeared first on KIMU.

Establishing the mood with rippling guitar, a cerebral bass tone and a meditative synth with bell nuances, evolving with textured, padded drums and a dynamic saxophone performance, Dead Feather opens Corn Woman (Mother Woman) with timelessness and a cinematic allure.

The opus expands with brooding vocals and brighter astral vocals bringing to life an almost question-answer format. The energy holds a high spiritual quotient and is laced with intrigue. The composition is highly unique and has a cosmic energy with the juxtaposition of Dead Feather super deep vocals and harmonies by Elexa Dawson, Carli, Rose and Cameron.

The instrumental performances are sublime, bringing to life a cohesive tapestry of sound with integrity and a vibe that we can only imagine would be otherworldly to experience in a live setting! There is a mantra-esque quality to the hook, “spinning around”, which reminds us of the cyclical nature of life and the spirals of the cosmos.

The recording of Corn Woman (Mother Woman) took place at Remote Studios in Wellston, Oklahoma, owned by Doug Swindell. Adam Stanley and Isaac Nelson of the band Stanley Hotel, credited on the song, were the instrumentalists and sound engineers, whilst Elizabeth Swindell performed saxophone and horns.

Speaking on the influence behind the release, Dead Feather confesses, “This is based off the Mvskoke deity Uvce, or Corn Woman, mother of Fayetu, the hunting deity who led the Mvskoke into the New World after their arrival on turtle’s back. Fayetu’s father is Hvse, the Sun. Dead Feather‘s work is heavily influenced by Mvskoke deities and spirituality. Various Mvskoke deities have been eradicated due to the civilization process.”

We learn that Dead Feather‘s new album Cate Heleswv (Red Medicine) Vol. 1 aims to keep the various Mvskoke-Creek mythologies alive through education, artistic expression and rock and roll. We really connect with the depth that is manifesting with Dead Feather‘s universe, and have added Corn Woman (Mother Woman) to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists, whilst we continue to stream the entirety of the album!

The post Dead Feather weaves cosmic mythology into sound with Corn Woman (Mother Woman), and accompanying album, Cate Heleswv (Red Medicine) appeared first on KIMU.