Hitmakerz Starterz: Joey Nowyuk
Roots and indie-rock artist, Joey Nowyuk, reflects on his start in music
A young Joey Nowyuk brings a guitar out to a picnic in 2014.
By Kendra Seguin
Hitmakerz Starterz is an artist spotlight series, introducing readers to Hitmakerz artists and sharing their musical journeys. To read upcoming Hitmakerz Starterz stories, be sure to check out the Hitmakerz blog.
Joey Nowyuk is set to release his second full-length album, Inuugama, this September. This is only one part of what the indie-rocker has going on in 2022, which also includes single releases, awards nominations, and national and international festival performances.
Nowyuk is living the life of a professional musician, though his trajectory could have been very different if a traveling music camp never came to his small town of Pangnirtung, Nunavut in 2011.
The Qikiqtaaluk Arts and Music Camp stopped in Pangnirtung for five days between Aug. 8 and Aug. 12, 2011. They set up camp at the local high school, teaching three different music classes each day: throat singing, fiddle, and guitar. The Iqaluit Music Society supported the camps as a fiduciary, while Andrew Morrison, lead singer and guitarist of The Jerry Cans, was the camp coordinator.
A 16-year-old Nowyuk and his friend signed up for guitar lessons after writing a song together and wanting to add guitar to the track.
“I have always been interested in music,” said Nowyuk. “At the time, I was already trying to write my own lyrics but I hadn’t gotten into playing guitar.”
Over the course of the week, Nowyuk learned four chords and by Friday, all camp attendees put on a final performance for the town. There, Nowyuk and his friend performed the song they wrote – now complete with guitar parts.
“We sang that song at the musical festival in town a month before [the camp], so people already knew it, but it was with an instrumental track,” said Nowyuk. “People were really happy to listen to it with actual instruments.”
After the workshop ended, Nowyuk said that the four key chords he learned carried his music for a long time. He continued to play around with those chords until he discovered guitar tabs online and began experimenting further.
Nowyuk was not “just messing around” with the guitar anymore. He started taking music seriously.
Approximately seven years later, another music workshop visited Pangnirtung, providing Nowyuk with an opportunity to officially take his music to the next level.
The Arctic Hitmakerz workshop (known as the Nunavut Hitmakerz workshop at the time) is a travelling songwriting and music production tour created by producer, Thor Simonsen, and late singer, Kelly Fraser. The workshop is run by the record label, Hitmakerz, with which Nowyuk is currently signed.
When the Arctic Hitmakerz workshop arrived at Pangnirtung’s community centre in 2018, Nowyuk was asked to help with the event as a runner and to be an opening act at one of their performances. There, he met and spoke with Simonsen about creating an album together.
Throughout 2019 and 2020, the pair worked to apply for funding, record music, and prepare marketing for the release of Nowyuk’s debut album, Tumitit.
Today, the name “Joey Nowyuk” has many accolades attached to it. Tumitit – meaning “your footprints” – was officially released in 2021 and its singles were quick to make waves. “Nalligigakku (Because I Love Her)” and “Pray (Tussiaq)” both reached #1 on the Indigenous Music Countdown, while the music video for “Nalligigakku (Because I Love Her)” was an Indigenous Music Award winner. Nowyuk’s achievements also include being a three-time winner of the Qilaut songwriting contents and currently having two nominations at the Native American Music Awards.
Nowyuk’s ongoing successes put him in the ranks of celebrated Inuit artists, including those who have inspired him growing up. Qimutjuit, Beatrice Deer, and Elisapie – all people who have worked to strengthen Inuit language and culture through music – are just some of Nowyuk’s key inspirations.
Outside of the Inuit music scene, Nowyuk said he listened to pop punk bands like Green Day, Good Charlotte, and Simple Plan when he first started writing music, while nowadays, he finds himself inspired by Greenlandic music – something he really connected with when he performed at the Arctic Sounds Festival in Sisimiut.
“I really like their style of music because a lot of them produce their own music and a lot of them are independent artists in Greenland,” said Nowyuk.
Throughout his music career, Nowyuk has taken inspiration from the various musical influences in his life. As he continues to rise, he is on his way to being a similar role model to others.