Adrian Sutherland, frontman of roots-rock band Midnight Shine, used to avoid politically charged music. But when his Northern Ontario community of Attawapiskat First Nation declared an unsafe water emergency, he penned a protest song ā āPolitician Man.ā
āThat really bothered me and pushed me over the edge,ā Sutherland told HuffPost Canada. Attawapiskat has had unsafe drinking water for as long as Sutherland can remember. First Nations in Canada also face widespread food insecurity and poor housing conditions.
āThereās third-world conditions in whatās supposed to be a first-world country,ā Sutherland said.
The Cree singerās lyrics take aim at government inaction at every level, and he urges listeners to pressure their local politicians and ministers to effect change.
As Sutherland sings: āWeāre sick and tired of the same old games.ā
Correction: An earlier version of this story attributed āPolitician Manā to Midnight Shine. Itās Adrian Sutherlandās solo debut.
Watch the video above to hear from Sutherland about the state of Attawapiskatās water system. Listen to the full version of āPolitician Manā below.