Shauna Seeteenak Returns with Springtime Single
“Sunshine” is the first single off Seeteenak’s upcoming self-produced album, Self-Determination
Single artwork for Seeteenak’s new song, “Sunshine”.
Iqaluit-based hip hop artist and rapper, Shauna Seeteenak, has released “Sunshine” as the first single off her upcoming sophomore album, Self-Determination. The song was released on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 exclusively on SoundCloud.
“Sunshine” is a song about persisting through life’s moments that are not always “sunshine and rainbows.” Despite negativity, Seeteenak can still find joy through moments with her girlfriend, family, friends, and by taking life slowly. The song’s springtime release coincides with the sun coming out after months of darkness.
“I was inspired to write this song, thinking back about a conversation I had with my brother years ago. He told me that, ‘Life can’t always be sunny, you have to have rain, but at the end of that rain there are rainbows’. That conversation has always stuck with me and I wrote this song about that moment we had.”
“Sunshine,” like the rest of the upcoming Self-Determination album, was produced by Seeteenak herself. The aptly-named album has been an opportunity for the artist to take control of her music creation and career. Throughout 2022 and 2023, Seeteenak completed coaching sessions with music production and music marketing mentors including Chris Birkett, Dale Penner, Tev Bourque, Thor Simonsen, Gabe Gallucci, 666god, Anna Fauske, Sarah Elaine McLay, Samantha Claire Durrell, and Robin Cisek.
“The production process for this song actually went pretty smoothly. I only had a couple of drafts until it was perfect to how I wanted it to be and it just felt natural. Sometimes I get into these moments where I feel like I was a part of the song and I felt this way with ‘Sunshine’. I didn’t feel like I was part of this world for the time being when I was recording the song, because the music takes me to a different place.”
Financial support for Seeteenak’s project was provided by the Government of Nunavut.
This is Seeteenak’s first marketed release since her 2021 debut album, Therapy Sessions. The album was recently nominated for two Arctic Music Awards (Album of the Year and Single of the Year for “Qiviktailigit (Don’t Give Up)”) and the singles “Better with You” and “See the Light” were both on the Indigenous Music Countdown chart. In the time between Therapy Sessions and Self-Determination, Seeteenak collaborated with fellow Nunavut rapper, Jacob Okatsiak, on the single “22K.”
Originally from Baker Lake, Nunavut, Seeteenak has been interested in music since she was 10 years old. Her music tells the stories of Inuit: their love, their challenges, and their healing. Seeteenak has qualified for the Top 100 in CBC’s Searchlight competition in both 2020 and 2022. Recent live performances include the 2022 Folk on the Rocks Festival in Yellowknife, the NUPOP showcase in Iqaluit, and the Aqpik Jam Music Festival in Kuujjuaq, Quebec. As an LGBTQ+ Inuk woman, Seeteenak continues to break barriers in the male-dominated worlds of hip hop and music production.
Self-Determination is set to be released in 2023.
Listen to “Sunshine” now on SoundCloud. To keep up with Shauna Seeteenak, follow her on Facebook and Instagram and check out her website.
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For PR, bookings, or more information, please contact:
Sarah Elaine McLay | sarah@hitmakerz.com
About Hitmakerz
Founded in 2016, Hitmakerz is a full-service record label that specializes in creating world-class Indigenous and multicultural music. The company has offices in Iqaluit, Ottawa, and Toronto, and is a social enterprise that aims to create sustainable careers for artists while empowering them to share their stories and strengthen their culture. www.hitmakerz.com
Acknowledgment
We acknowledge the support of the Government of Nunavut.
