聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 White Bear's Teagan Littlechief聽 has marked her return to music with a new single, 鈥淗ell Bent, Heaven Bound鈥� and a nomination for the Saskatchewan Country Music Award's Aboriginal Artist of the Year.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The 29-year-old singer-songwriter says: 鈥淚 never really left music, but it has taken a bit of a backseat. I'm a single mom and I work, so I haven't been able to give it as much time as I'd like.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淣ow my son (Gabriel, 5) is a little older, so it's still busy, but it's a different kind of busy.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏ut I went through a separation and there's no better way for a performer to deal with something like that than to get it out in music. That's where 'Hell Bent, Heaven Bound' came from.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 co-wrote it with Terry Fernihough from Ontario. He's also a songwriter and a performer. I was bringing my son Gabe home from a doctor's appointment. I had the tune in my head and I just kept singing it until I got home. Terry and I emailed it back and forth and that's mostly how we wrote it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 did rough background on the music, but the lyrics are mostly mine.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Littlechief recorded the single at Calgary's MCC Recording Studio with producer Johnny Gasparic.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 started recording last fall-in October 2015,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 planned to be there for a whole week-Ithought it would take that long. But 鈥淗ell Bent, Heaven Bound鈥� was recorded in a day and the single was done in a couple of weeks.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t's a gift when that happens. Usually you plan for the worst, but things went so well in the studio, I got a little holiday in.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Littlechief started singing as a child and says that throughout the inevitable ups and downs she has experienced while pursuing a career as a performer, 鈥淚t's worth it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎s a performer, it's an amazing feeling to know that I have an impact on people. I prefer to play with a band, but no matter where I'm singing, I perform as best I can with the material I have. And it's such an incredible feeling when I know my performance has touched someone.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚've been at it for quite some time,' says Littlechief. 鈥淚've been singing since I was a wee girl and the first time I sang in public, I was about seven or eight years old. I started entering competitions when I was 12 and since then, I've been lucky enough to perform in Canada and the States.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 One of the most memorable performances she has given was singing the national anthem in front of nearly 36,000 Saskatchewan Roughrider fans last year in Regina.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭here was a Roughrider anthem contest,鈥� says Littlechief. 鈥淚 jumped on that and made it right through. That day, I was sitting on the west side of the stadium before I was to sing 'O Canada.' When I turned around and saw the number of people who were there, my jaw just dropped.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t didn't really hit me until I left the stadium that day. It was a great experience because my stepson-Teegan Redwood-was with me and it was his birthday.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏ut when I walked off after my performance, I thought: 'That's where I belong. That's where I want to be.'鈥澛�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 also opened for Susan Aglukark in Saskatoon,鈥� adds Littlechief. 鈥淲hen I saw Susan at first, I couldn't stop shaking. But she was so reassuring. She gave me a hug and was so encouraging.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪he's gorgeous and she's so down to earth. Her head's not in the clouds at all.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he Johner Brothers were like that, too. Good people and down to earth as well.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 really haven't had any bad experiences with other artists,鈥� adds Littlechief. 鈥� I like all kinds of music. One of my biggest influences is Selena (Quintanilla) the Spanish-American singer. I also really like Gretchen Wilson, Celine Dion, ZZ Top, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Led Zeppelin, Guns聽 N' Roses and Tina Turner.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Littlechief聽 credits her mother, Sarah for exposing her to music. 鈥淢y mom turned me on to '70s and '80s rock,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 never really got into country until I was 13. There was a contest in Yorkton and I sang 'Sweet Child of Mine' by Guns N' Roses for my audition tape.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 made it through, but they told me I needed to sing country. So I started listening to Alan Jackson and Shania Twain. I ended up singing 'Poor Me' by Trick Pony and Martina McBride's hit, 'Broken Wing' and I got a standing ovation.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭oday, I consider myself an alternative country and rock artist and I'm recording original material.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚'm back to making time for music and I love it. The past 10 months have been a challenge, with motherhood, work and music and I'm trying to juggle bookings, among other things.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏ut it's time to go full-throttle with music again.鈥�
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