Where the Sky Meets the Song: Wyatt C. Louis Live at Rifflandia
Wyatt C. Louis is a nêhiyaw (Plains Cree) singer-songwriter who hails from Treaty 6 territory, and will be taking the stage at this year’s Rifflandia Festival. This won’t be their first time playing in Victoria, as Louis was invited to play the Jon and Roy Christmas Special at the Royal Theatre in 2023, delighting the sold-out room as a relatively unknown artist at the time.
Louis grew up in different parts of Alberta, including Ponoka, Wetaskawin and Red Deer, where they studied music at Red Deer College. Once completing their studies, Louis moved to Calgary, where they immersed themselves in the music scene and began exploring their now signature narrative-driven songwriting.
In recent years, things have changed for Louis. Through the renowned Royal Mountain Records, they released their debut album Chandler on May 24th, 2024, and have since been touring extensively, playing festivals across Canada and beyond as well as getting the recognition they deserve for Chandler.
Louis’ debut full-length releases caught the ears of the Polaris Music Prize this year and made the long list for 2025, along with 39 other artists. In addition to the Polaris Music Prize, Louis has been nominated for three Western Canadian Music Awards for BreakOut Artist of the Year, Indigenous Artist of the Year and Roots Artist of the Year.
Those who have listened to Chandler and have followed Louis’ rising career will know that the magic in their music is utterly unique—Louis manages to make every song come alive through sporadicness, while at the same time remaining grounded in a whimsical, soulful manner.
Prior to the full release of Chandler, Louis released their breakthrough single, “Dancing with Sue,” that paved the way for the success they have found since.
“Dancing with Sue” starts off with brushes on a snare drum, an acoustic guitar strumming, a hold-steady bass line and an invitation from Louis to put your troubles aside and dance barefoot with them in the sun. The song is written as a tender ode to mentors, who not only show us how to get from point A to point B, but also teach us how to enjoy the journey.
Other standout tracks include “In Emerald,” “There” and “Bobtail Road,” all of which capture Louis’ signature transfixing sound.
On “In Emerald,” Louis takes a trip down memory lane and waxes nostalgia on where they came from. They sing of connections to their past, dancing in the fields, having a cup of coffee on a rainy day and browsing the guitar shop to see what’s new.
Louis recently released a music video for their song “Bobtail Road” on National Indigenous Peoples Day, which is a love letter from them to their family and fellow Indigenous Peoples of Canada. The big skies of Alberta are featured prominently in the video, as are Louis’ kin and community.
No matter what you are doing or where you are heading, if you are listening to Wyatt C. Louis’ Chandler, then you’ll be drifting through life at a whimsical pace. Their music prompts thoughts of connection, honesty and truth, and those themes drift easily from a set of speakers into the lives of those listening to them.
Make sure to put Wyatt C. Louis on your must-see list for Rifflandia 2025!
– Curtis Blandy. Curtis Blandy is a music nerd, wannabe cowboy and punk rat who happily makes his living as the Senior Writer for Victoria Buzz. Curt writes about everything under the sun, but gets a special ‘ooey gooey’ feeling in his sensitive little heart anytime he gets a chance to write about Victoria’s music scene. Through his work at Victoria Buzz, Curty boy writes a weekly column called ‘New Music Monday’ in which he highlights new releases by the myriad of local musicians Vancouver Island has to offer.