The multiple Juno Award-nominated singer-songwriter releases her first-ever Christmas single and discusses how her recently born daughter inspires her musically…
By Stephan Petar
“Stockings by the fire.” “Endless candy canes.” These are the cozy holiday vignettes Mohawk singer-songwriter Shawnee Kish (she/her) paints in her first-ever Christmas single Favourite Gift, out now on streaming platforms.
Shawnee has had quite a year. She became a new mother with her partner Olympian Jen Kish, was nominated for two JUNO Awards, was on the 2024 #IndigenousTikTok Visionary Voices list and has been releasing singles with her most personal and vulnerable lyrics yet. She also continues to be a fierce activist for the Indigenous and 2SLGBTQI+ communities using her voice to uplift and heal. Next, she will perform on the CPKC Holiday Train, with stops in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta between November 28 and December 8.
We chatted with Shawnee about the inspiration behind her Christmas single, her evolution as an artist (which started as a Shania Twain impersonator), and how she’ll be celebrating her first Christmas with her daughter.
Tell us about ‘Favourite Gift’!
I’ve always shied away from Christmas songs. I have a chaotic and wild family, so Christmas has always come with the utmost chaos. A couple of Christmases ago, when my wife and I first met, we ran away for Christmas with each other. So, Christmas has always been a funny time for me.
Since having my daughter, I’ve been thinking about Christmas, and am excited to experience it with her. I feel I’ve fallen in love with it all over again, like when I was a kid. Writing a song about it made so much sense. To have something for her to listen to, to have fun to and that was celebrating her first Christmas.
Was there a Christmas song that inspired you?
I don’t know if there’s a specific song. I think ‘Santa Baby’ is cute and fun, and any upbeat kind of song. I knew I wanted it to represent all the things that I imagined for her – leaving cookies for Santa and seeing them nibbled on; her anticipating the morning and being excited; just building that atmosphere around her of things that I cannot wait to do with her, and see her eyes light up at. I wanted the song to represent that story. There’s a bit of soul in it and it’s just meant to be fun, something you can put on and dance to.
How did you first get into music? When did you realize this was your path?
I gravitated towards it as a young person. I started performing by accident as a Shania Twain impersonator when I was about 12. I loved that, and it kept me busy and it kept me working. I struggled in so many ways with my home and school life and not feeling like I could be me. Music was the one thing that gave me identity. I latched onto music for my survival and I’ve never let go of it. It developed over time and for different reasons, and it has meant different things to me, but once I discovered the power that it has for me, I’ve never let it go.
Your music spans various genres. Who influenced you musically, and is there a genre you gravitate towards?
It changes with me. I’ve changed so much since I’ve started writing music. From country to rock, there are so many different things that I can pull that I love and respect about each individual genre. I’ve explored different genres and different ways of singing, but I find the strength in my voice always remains in what I have to say and what my intentions are with sharing my story and my voice.
Those soul, R&B, blues women [e.g., Etta James] who can never be replaced is something I very much look up to and pull inspiration from. It felt like they did music for them. It wasn’t for a hit, it wasn’t for a team of people. It was for them.
Your song ‘Reclaim’ was released in August, and a press release noted your new body of work will be your most raw and vulnerable. How do you get to a place where you feel comfortable to share those personal stories?
Every opportunity I’ve had in my life, through struggle especially, has been a chance for me to look in the mirror and challenge myself to grow. Part of that is the healing journey of accepting me for me.
I’ve spent a lot of time hiding me as an Indigenous person, as a two-spirit person, as a gay person. I’ve spent a lot of time covering up all of those parts of myself, and it’s been this journey of reclaiming myself in all those ways and feeling enough confidence not only in a room, but in my music to be able to say these are the everyday things that my story has been filled with.
That part is scary: when it’s so close and it feels like there’s so much that could potentially come back and hurt you in some way. For me, it’s been this growing experience of learning that the things I’m scared of are the things I need to do, not only for myself, but for someone else who might need it. If I say I’m doing this because of the healing journey, then I have to be real and I have to be raw. If I’m not going to do it, I might as well pack up and go home. These past few years have been very challenging identity wise, and I feel I need to speak. What better way to do that than to share my story through music?
How has your daughter’s birth influenced your music?
She’s definitely influenced my writing. I’ve been finding since she was born that I feel almost lighter. It’s like I’m looking at the world through her eyes. There’s so much that I want for her. I want her to be her, and it’s exciting, joyful, bright and beautiful. I feel this newfound peace and I feel settled in a way. She’s definitely influenced my writing in that way.
You were named a Visionary Voice by TikTok. What does that recognition mean to you?
The way I have never shared myself before, I get to on TikTok. The silliness, the goofiness, the fun, my relationship and my family dynamic. You get to see beyond my music. I get to share who I am.… I love being able to make people smile and feel good in their day. It gives me the opportunity to share the things that are important to me, that I’ve struggled with, and share my voice. It’s really cool to see how far I’ve come in my own journey.
I used to look up to someone like Melissa Etheridge who shared her stories. Now to be that person that people can go to and smile or learn about the things that I am…and empower, motivate and inspire people, it’s cool.
This is your daughter’s first holiday. Is there a holiday tradition you’re excited to start with her?
She’ll only be six months, but we’ll definitely decorate the Christmas tree. I think we’ll get her her own little Christmas ornament that she can put on the tree. I’ll help her, but next year, hopefully she can do it herself. And we’re definitely going to put cookies out.
You can follow Shawnee Kish on TikTok, Instagram and at shawneekish.com.
STEPHAN PETAR is a born and raised Torontonian, known for developing lifestyle, entertainment, travel, historical and 2SLGBTQI+ content. He enjoys wandering the streets of any destination he visits, where he’s guaranteed to discover something new or meet someone who will inspire his next story.
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