Led by two-spirited Anishinaabe artist Veronica Blackhawk, Winnipeg’s Tinge transform the trials of urban-Indigenous life into anthems of resilience. The trio’s rough-edged indie rock borrows from grunge’s quiet-loud catharsis and emo’s unflinching honesty, carving a home in the space where despair becomes defiance.

Born in Lake of the Woods, Ontario, Blackhawk spent much of their youth in “survival mode,” moving from town to town with little sense of stability. It wasn’t until years later that they found the steady foundation to begin working through those experiences, channeling questions of identity, belonging, and intergenerational trauma into visual arts and music. Successful early gigs led to increasing confidence as a songwriter, but the need for connection remained—so Blackhawk reached out to two former high school classmates in the hopes of sparking a collaboration.

Needless to say, it worked. Now featuring Jordan Tait on bass and Lincoln Brown on drums, Tinge quickly got to work recording their first EP. Blackhawk has described that debut, Big Deep Sigh, as an exhalation, releasing years of pent-up emotion with a cleansing breath. But while it may be the culmination of one part of their story, it’s also a start of a new path, a steadying breath before a much bigger journey. Blackhawk has found their voice, and they’ve found their people. It’s clearly just the beginning.

-Peter Hemminger