From dance floors to deep truths, LOV’s voice invites listeners to lean in and feel the meaning behind every note. Premiering on Atwood Magazine, her soulful anthem “Sister Era” celebrates womanhood, freedom, and the power of letting go – rediscovering joy on your own terms.
Stream: “Sister Era” – LOV
I put a lot of love into my music so that it feels like a warm hug, and I just hope that the listeners listen to the messages as much as the melodies.
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It’s a long way from Poundmaker Cree Nation in Saskatchewan to the streets of Camden, London, where Amy Winehouse once lived, but for LOV, music closed that distance.
When she first heard “Rehab” on the radio at age 11, something clicked. The voice was bold and messy and full of truth… and somehow, it felt familiar.
“I thought it was funny how she was singing about rehab in such a spunky way,” LOV says. “As someone who grew up with that language, seeing my family struggle with things like addiction, I felt seen and heard in a way, knowing that other people in the world are talking about things that aren’t so perfect and actually making some really cool songs about it.”
That moment stayed with her. Years later, it would help shape the soulful, reflective sound she’s now making her own: Music that speaks to where she comes from, and where she’s headed.
Her latest single, “Sister Era,” is a celebration of that journey: A track she describes as a dances between girlhood and womanhood, joy and release, strength and softness.
Broken concrete broken floor
Don’t know ‘bout you but I need more
I know you had plans to stay in but
20 minute warning I’m at your door
Give yourself a break
You been workin hard
Come and feel the glow
live the moment of your
Sister Era, Sister Era
“From a young age, we’re taught to take on so much,” she says. “I wanted to write something that reminded us it’s okay – even necessary – to let loose sometimes.”
Raised in a relatively small Indigenous community, the singer/songwriter is shaped not just by where she comes from, but by who she comes from. Her roots run deep in her culture and family, and the influence of the women in her life – especially her Kokum (her grandmother) – continues to guide her.
Yeah, we’re working hard…
Come everybody let’s move our bodies
Yeah, we’re working hard…
Come everybody let’s move our bodies
As a child in residential school, her grandmother wasn’t allowed to speak her language or fully be herself. Though she rarely raised her voice, her presence was powerful.
“She had this calm energy,” LOV says. “I didn’t realize how lucky I was, growing up around that, until I got older and understood everything she’d been through.
“I often think of her and how she would have interpreted her granddaughter being on the radio, I imagine her saying her famous “wah hiy heee heee” (a Cree slang for “oh my goodness”). I want to make her proud by showcasing this strength and resiliency that she had.”
Pent up purple pent up scene
Someone’s got flashing lights on me
I know we had plans to go home but
20 more minutes is all I need
Give yourself a break
You been workin hard
Come and feel the glow
live the moment of your
Sister Era, Sister Era
That spirit lives in LOV’s sound. Her voice doesn’t need to be loud to leave a mark; it’s steady and sure – the kind that makes you lean in because it carries more than just melody; it carries meaning.
From “Mama” to “Matriarch” to “Sister Era,” her songwriting threads together generational wisdom to work hard, to rest, to care for yourself and your community.
And there’s plenty more ahead. With a debut album on the way this spring, an all-Cree single (“Maci Nimihtow”) coming soon, and a fall tour in the works, there’s so much to look forward to from the rising artist.
Atwood Magazine caught up with LOV to talk about the power of strong women, finding joy without guilt, and the legacy of a grandmother whose quiet strength continues to echo through every song.
Give yourself a break
You been workin hard
Come and feel the glow
live the moment of your
Sister Era, Sister Era
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:: stream/purchase Sister Era here ::
:: connect with LOV here ::
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Stream: “Sister Era” – LOV
A CONVERSATION WITH LOV
Atwood Magazine: Congrats on the new single! Can you tell me the story behind “Sister Era?”
LOV: Thank you so much! “Sister Era” is a song about girlhood meeting womanhood; it’s about the initiation of young women expressing their mature side and celebrating life by going out and having fun, dancing, letting loose. I really wanted to create a song that felt like my first time going out with the girls, where the only thing on the agenda is hanging out, dancing and having fun. I think from a young age, women are conditioned to take on so much responsibility and it’s important to remind each other that it’s okay and actually encouraged to have a night of fun every now and then.
You’ve written a couple of songs about strong women (“Mama” and “Matriarch”). Who were the strong women who shaped you, and how do they show up in your music?
LOV: My Kokum (grandmother) was a residential school survivor; she was there from the ages of 6-14. I grew up with her calm energy, not realizing as a child how extremely lucky I was considering the amount of trauma and loss she had experienced in those “boarding schools.” I often think of her and how she would have interpreted her granddaughter being on the radio, I imagine her saying her famous “wah hiy heee heee” (a Cree slang for “oh my goodness”). I want to make her proud by showcasing this strength and resiliency that she had, but also that so many incredibly strong women have all over the world. Which is why I include a lot of solidified affirmations in my lyrics, “mama get to work” (“Mama”) and “Give yourself a break, you’ve been working hard” (“Sister Era”), are two opposing statements however, both healthy reminders for women to follow their heart work and still remain balanced by taking breaks.
What do you think is your strength as an artist?
LOV: Songwriting – I’d have to say my ability to see the world in a positive lens, despite the things I’ve experienced and what my people have gone through. Perspective is everything, and I make it my mission to lead my music with love and good intentions. Music has the power to heal, and I recognized that from a young age.
Perspective is everything, and I make it my mission to lead my music with love and good intentions. Music has the power to heal, and I recognized that from a young age.
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You describe your music as a mix of resilience, rhythm and reinvention. (Love that!) What does that mean for you on a personal level? And what’s been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
LOV: Being the fixed air sign that I am (Aquarius), I have this deep need, or non-negotiable standard of doing things in a way that feels authentic to me but is also something that is not being done at the same time, so I love blending genres and getting super creative when it comes to studio time.
The biggest challenge I’d say is being okay with being so exposed as an artist, as someone who grew up being a “closet” singer, I struggle sometimes with the exposure.
You were born in Saskatchewan. I’m from Winnipeg. These aren’t provinces I think of as hotbeds of UK-soul inspired music! How did you gravitate to this sound?
LOV: Working with Producer Connor Seidel really inspired this sound to come to life, however, my biggest influences growing up were UK-based singers like Amy Winehouse and Adele, so I think it just came naturally when we were in the creating process.
Do you remember the first time you heard a song in that genre and how it made you feel?
LOV: I remember being maybe 11-12 years old and listening to “Rehab” by Amy on the radio. I thought it was funny how she was singing about rehab in such a spunky way. As someone who grew up with that language, seeing my family struggle with things like addiction, I felt seen and heard in a way, knowing that other people in the world are talking about things that aren’t so perfect and actually making some really cool songs about it. I’ve been a fan since.
When did you first realize music was your path?
LOV: My second month into tree planting (2023), I was working in the hot sun and I thought to myself, “if I can do this incredibly laboring and mentally draining job for 10 hours of the day, being away from my family, my comfort and my community, then I can do anything and choose something that makes me come alive.” I’ve been at it ever since. After tree planting, with no experience I went busking to the west coast and sourced funds from grants and funders to get studio time. A lot can happen in two years when you put your mind to it.
On one of your latest IG posts, you said “just a rez girl living her dreams.” For people who don’t know or understand rez life, how would you describe it?
LOV: Rez life feels like a paradox because at the same time that it is home, it governs these foreign ideologies that do not serve my people in a beneficial way. I loved being so close to family, ceremonies and gatherings, however, there is a lot of healing that still needs to continue and sometimes that means that the rez isn’t always the safest or best place to be for growth.
There’s got to be a lot of pride in repping Treaty 6 territory, but probably some pressure too. How do you carry that as an artist? And what does that mean for you personally, especially as your platform grows?
LOV: I actually don’t feel any pressure doing so because at the end of the day, I am just an artist telling my story. I am proudly from these lands and will carry that in everything I choose to do in this life and as my platform grows, I just think “now I have more to give.” Eventually I see myself partaking in a lot of music programs that blend life skills, health and wellness and music into one. That will be my way of giving back and also passing on the torch for the young ones coming up.
It feels like there’s power and purpose behind your music. Do you feel like that message is just as important as the sound?
LOV: YES! 10,000 percent, I think the words we choose to use and listen to carry so much power and influence on who we will be and how we will show up for ourselves. Speaking good things to yourself is speaking good things out into the world, and when you do that you create the possibility of growth, evolution and peace.
What do you hope people take away from your music?
LOV: That life is simple and meant to be an experience that we learn from, that matriarchy brings peace to the world because women are powerful healers, that Indigenous talent is prehistoric and that it’s okay to feel good without needing to sabotage that. I put a lot of love into my music so that it feels like a warm hug, and I just hope that the listeners listen to the messages as much as the melodies.
What’s next?
LOV: Album release is coming up next spring! Which is so exciting, I cannot wait for it to be out. I’ll have one more single before than called “Maci Nimihtow” which is an all Cree song. I have a cute little tour in November, details are all on my website.
When it comes to music direction, I really want to collaborate with some amazingly talented Indigenous artists like Fawn Wood and AntioneX and create something different! Hopefully it all works out but until then I’ll be chillin’, making demos at home and waiting for my partner’s new show to come out on Netflix called The Abandons. I’m super proud of him and excited for the both of us!
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:: stream/purchase Sister Era here ::
:: connect with LOV here ::
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Stream: “Sister Era” – LOV
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© courtesy of the artist
© courtesy of the artist:: Stream LOV ::
