First Nations Ts'msyen artist Saltwater Hank has a new single that combines his love of blues and roots music with his heritage. "Ba'wis" is sung in the Ts'msyen language Sm'algyax, and is based on his great-great grandfather's experience with a Ba'wis, which is a Sasquatch of British Columbia. "Ba'wis" is a dirty blues song with plenty of fuzz, but rooted in more traditional music. The result is a fascinating and unique take on the genre that is endlessly compelling. There is also some indie rock and punk attitude in the song that gives it an even better edge. Saltwater Hank is going to be an artist to keep a close eye on.
Saltwater Hank says of his great-great grandfather's encounter with a Ba'wis:
"The mentioning of Hadi’ix comes from a story of what happened long ago. Hadi’ix is my great-great grandfather. He used to go for walks and smoke his pipe around the village by himself. People wondered why he was laying flat on his back on the boardwalk, and unconscious. When he came-to he told the people who were helping him that he had met the Ba’wis, and it had breathed in his face, and he went unconscious as a result of that."
You can listen to "Ba'wis" below. G̱al’üünx wil lu Holtga Liimi is due out July 1, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp. For more on Saltwater Hank, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook.
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