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OMBIIGIZI Confronts Addiction With "City Trials"
The Anishinaabe indie outfit promote love and healing within the opioid crisis while teasing sophomore album, SHAME.
by RANGE
Photo by Natasha Roberts
- Published on
Anishinaabe-Canadian indie outfit OMBIIGIZI — led by Adam Sturgeon (Status/Non-Status) and Daniel Monkman (Zoon) — return today with the powerful single “City Trials,” teasing the release of their upcoming sophomore album SHAME.
“City Trials” is a haunting reflection on the opioid crisis, particularly its devastating effect on Indigenous communities. The song is a call for accountability, with OMBIIGIZI imagining a world where pharmaceutical companies face trial for their role in fuelling addiction. “You’re not what you’ve done / You’re not what you’ve become,” they sing, offering a message of hope, redemption, and change.
Produced by Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene, the track builds on layered guitars and intense melodies, encapsulating the duo’s distinctive sound that blends emotive storytelling with anthemic energy. The accompanying video reinforces their message, turning the spotlight on the corporate forces at the heart of the crisis.
“We recorded ‘City Trials’ after seeing what the opioid epidemic did to the Indigenous community, looking back after tens of years. I fantasized about holding the pharmaceutical companies accountable and the city would put them on trial for their crimes against the planet,” says Monkman.
OMBIIGIZI’s new album SHAME (out Nov. 1 via Arts & Crafts) promises to delve into themes of healing and vulnerability, urging listeners to confront their own experiences with honesty and grace.
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