Leela Gilday has spent the last five years creating her most vulnerable piece of work to date.

In her most recent album, North Star Calling, Gilday said stepping close to the microphone and setting aside the vocal gymnastics is what really connects with listeners.

The new album was recently nominated for Juno Awards in two categories: Indigenous Artist of the Year and Contemporary Roots Album.

Though GildaySA国际影视传媒檚 2006 album Sedz茅 won the Juno for Aboriginal Recording of the Year, and her 2002 album SA国际影视传媒� Spirit World, Solid Wood SA国际影视传媒� garnered a nomination for Aboriginal Recording of the Year, this is GildaySA国际影视传媒檚 first nomination outside of an Indigenous artist category. It is also the first time she has been up for two at once.

Gilday has also been nominated for two Canadian Folk Music Awards SA国际影视传媒� Indigenous Songwriter of the Year and Single of the Year with song K'eintah Natse Ju. That awards show will take place this weekend.

In North Star Calling, Gilday touches on themes of connection with the land and destigmatizing mental health SA国际影视传媒� two points of focus that have become increasingly important throughout the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, she said.

SA国际影视传媒淲ith our lives being shifted completely, with separation from loved ones, there's a lot of really hard stuff that people are going through in this past year and a half,SA国际影视传媒� Gilday said. SA国际影视传媒淚've relied a lot on music as something to buoy me and to heal me and I'm just glad that other people can find that in my music as well. That's a big part of the reason that I'm a public artist, to reach out and connect with people and uplift them.SA国际影视传媒�

Before putting this record together, Gilday said she had taken a step back from writing and recording music. Moving away temporarily from the album cycle, Gilday returned to the studio once she felt she had SA国际影视传媒渆nough important things to say.SA国际影视传媒�

North Star Calling Deepest Body of Work

Gilday calls North Star Calling her SA国际影视传媒渄eepest body of work.SA国际影视传媒�

She credits producer Hill Kourkoutis with bringing out a vision that Gilday herself hadnSA国际影视传媒檛 found.

Kourkoutis SA国际影视传媒渆ncouraged me to sing in a way that was without artifice, and very vulnerable and very honest,SA国际影视传媒� Gilday said.

As a producer, Kourkoutis said her job is to listen to the artist. The vulnerability in GildaySA国际影视传媒檚 lyrics called for a more introspective sound, she said. She explained that albums evolve naturally through a series of conversations and check-ins. While she may have challenged Gilday to try things differently, Kourkoutis said she was just looking to support the story Gilday had already created in her songwriting.

SA国际影视传媒淏ecause of the trust and friendship we had built, we intuitively found our way for creating the album,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭he ultimate goal is to tell the stories, and tell them honestly and hope that people connect with them. I believe Leela is such a beautiful storyteller and beacon of light, and I'm really happy her work is being acknowledged.SA国际影视传媒�

The Juno Awards will take place on May 16.

Even though the ceremony is virtual, Gilday said she still plans to dress up at home.

After such a tumultuous year, doing so will make her feel good to bring memories of SA国际影视传媒渘ormalcy,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

Plus, having an opportunity to show off Dene fashion is a bonus, Gilday said.