Wikwemikong duo among APTN’s Aboriginal Day Live celebration

June 19, 2015
Taylor and Shayne May with Ashley Bucholtz of the Juno nominated group USS, who co-wrote the song 'Drowning', will be performing with the sisters from Wikwemikong on Aboriginal Day.
Taylor and Shayne May with Ashley Bucholtz of the Juno nominated group USS, who co-wrote the song ‘Drowning’, will be performing with the sisters from Wikwemikong on Aboriginal Day.

By Jamie-Lee McKenzie

WIKWEMIKONG UNCEDED INDIAN RESERVE – After releasing their first single “Drowning” in October 2014, Shayne and Taylor May are excited about their next steps in the music industry. They will be preforming live at this year’s APTN Aboriginal Day Live Celebration on June 20.

Both Shayne and Taylor said that they were a little nervous to be preforming because they have never performed live to a crowd of this size, but they are also really excited.

“We’re working on a couple of new songs, so we might be able to perform them there too,” says Shayne, who also said that it is their plan to release a full album.

The girls are still working on their performance for the Aboriginal Day celebration and they’re not sure what to expect.

“We’re still trying to figure it out, because we have to show up a day early to we could rehearse, we’re still working out details with people from TEMPO [The TEMPO Educates Foundation],” says Shayne.

They are both shy girls explained Taylor, but since the release of their song their lives have changed a little bit. “When we were in high school, we were mostly known as the quiet girls and we never really talked in class and it was just that day when we finally spoke up about the song and then that’s when we started to get more known around the community and other communities,” says Taylor. “Which is crazy cause were really shy and don’t talk to a lot of people.”

“Drowning” is a very powerful song with a lot of meaning. Shayne explained that she wrote it for a friend. “They were going through a tough time and I didn’t know how to reach out to them. I just wrote the words down,” explains Shayne.

The APTN Aboriginal Day celebration which is in its 9th year, is a free day-long event and will have a free concert in the evening. It will feature mainstream and up-and-coming Indigenous artists. The family friendly event will begin at 11am and feature a variety of kids activities and cultural activities. The event will also feature the Aboriginal Day Pow Wow Competition and the Skateboard Park & Competition.  APTN will be broadcasting the Aboriginal Day Live concert, which will broadcast on APTN at 7:30pm. The concert portion line-up includes both mainstream and up-and-coming artists, and the two sisters; Shayne and Taylor May will be among them.

“It’s been a great experience so far,” says Taylor.

Shayne and Taylor have had a lot of support from their community. They recently graduated high school and said that the release of their single would not have been possible without The Music Business Program at Wasse Abin High School in Wikwemikong on Manitoulin Island.