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Hamilton Spectator
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Amid the pressures of fame, Aysanabee is finding his voice and purpose
TORONTO - A couple of years ago, Aysanabee didn't see himself as an alternative music artist, but lately, he doesn't mind the label. It was thrust upon him at the 2024 Juno Awards in Halifax, where the Oji-Cree musician was nominated in three categories: contemporary Indigenous artist of the year, songwriter of the year and best alternative album for his EP 'Here and Now.' He was most surprised by the latter nod. 'At first I was like, 'Oooh, they just put me in alternative. What does that mean?'' he remembers. Junos history would've suggested Aysanabee was a shoo-in for the Indigenous category, and less likely to win the others. But the opposite happened. He became the first Indigenous artist to win the alternative album and songwriter categories. Looking back, Aysanabee considers those Junos a pivotal step in his search for a musical identity. His career was fast rising at the time, and many people seemed eager to put him in boxes. He was an Indigenous musician, a folk singer and pop-rock songwriter, but he found it most comfortable being seen as an alternative artist. 'I really like it, because 'alternative' is just this catch-all,' he says. 'You're not really pigeonholed. You're like, 'I'm just going to do something weird.'' Right now, Aysanabee isn't making anything especially weird, musically. But with the release of his second full-length album 'Edge of the Earth' earlier this month, he's been reflecting a lot on harnessing the power of his voice. The topic comes up several times in an hour-long chat about his sudden rise to becoming 'medium famous,' as he half-jokingly puts it. The idea of being a recognizable Canadian makes the soft-spoken musician with booming vocals a little timid, as does the suggestion that other Indigenous musicians might consider his success something to aspire to. 'I felt comfortable writing songs in a Winnebago in the in dive bars (and) being on stage,' he says. 'One thing I found really difficult — not difficult, but I took really seriously — was becoming a role model.' He hasn't quite figured out how to handle that responsibility yet; it's something he's working on. Aysanabee was born Evan Pang, a surname he's said was given to him by his mother to avoid anti-Indigenous racism. He grew up in the small northern Ontario community of Kaministiquia, a short drive outside Thunder Bay. As the story goes, he began his music aspirations as a young adult living in a motorhome behind his mother's house, with no running water and only a generator for electricity. Music was more of a hobby at the time. Like many young men in the community, he took manual labour gigs to pay the bills. One day, while working a mining job, he fell through the ice on a frozen lake and narrowly survived. He's said the scare pushed him to chase bigger dreams. Within a short time, he had packed for Toronto, enrolled in Centennial College's three-year journalism program and was performing under the stage name Aysanabee, reclaimed from his late grandfather, a residential school survivor. Once he graduated, he took media jobs at Huffington Post and the CTV News website, but music eventually became his main focus. Aysanabee's 2022 debut album 'Watin' incorporated traits of an aspiring journalist. Its musical elements were structured around audio recordings of his late grandfather sharing memories of residential schools. 'Watin' was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, which helped put Aysanabee on the map. He followed it up the next year with the EP 'Here and Now,' which captured the fallout of a romantic breakup and seemed designed to prove he wasn't merely a concept album artist. It established him as a Canadian indie rock radio force with the hit single 'Somebody Else.' 'Edge of the Earth' arrives after that success and finds Pang assessing a life that's miles away from his past. His accomplishments now include being the first Indigenous artist to hit No. 1 on Mediabase's Canadian alternative rock airplay chart with his song 'Nomads,' and touring with Grammy-winning Montreal native Allison Russell. 'People change, we're not meant to stay the same,' he sings on the new album's opening track 'Embers,' a song about moving past a relationship. 'A lot of the songs were written during a pivotal time in my life where I signed this record deal and suddenly was getting to pursue my dreams ... in a very real way,' Pang says. Of the six producers on 'Edge of the Earth,' Pang says half were women. Grammy-nominated Charlie McClean is credited for 'Embers,' while Toronto R&B singer Kyla Charter co-produced the rousing 'Home.' Juno winner Hill Kourkoutis lent her hand to the album's closer 'Dreamcatcher,' which Pang says captures his internal struggle with early success. Making space for women is something Pang prioritized from early on. He's signed to Ishkōdé Records, an Indigenous and women-led independent record label. 'It's something I am very aware of, probably because my entire team is women,' he says. 'I think a big part of my success is made by working with women, not just because of the care they put into everything they do, but because they've been put in a position (where they) have to work harder than men to carve out this industry.' 'I feel very protected by working with women who have dubbed themselves 'the Aunties',' he adds. After being asked to dive into the significance of his album, he pauses to gather his thoughts. He says it feels self-indulgent to discuss such a personal album when social and political tumult seems at a fever pitch. '(I feel) subconscious talking about (myself) when there's so much happening in the world,' he says. 'I'm just overcome going on in the States, everything that is going on in Gaza. Everything going on everywhere. It seems like a weird time to put out a record about myself, I guess.' He admits he still struggles at times with impostor syndrome. His rise to fame came during a social reckoning that saw BIPOC creators elevated in popular culture, and like many fellow benefactors, he has sometimes wondered why he was chosen. 'I've met a lot of other Indigenous artists who have that same feeling,' he says. 'I think it's something we're always kind of working through.' Pang doesn't want other aspiring musicians to face the same internal struggles. On his current tour, he's hand-picked local Indigenous musicians at each stop to open his show, giving them a spotlight they might not have otherwise. At the end of the tour, he hopes to create a manga-style comic book that illustrates each performer as an Indigenous superhero of sorts, listing entertaining details about their careers and memories of the tour. Pang says a friend suggested the idea, and once he thought it through, he realized it would put a much-needed spotlight on Indigenous up-and-comers to 'keep the conversation going.' 'We rise and fall together,' he says. 'Building a community that helps itself, helps each other and strives to get the best for each other, is the best way to go about it.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Amid the pressures of fame, Aysanabee is finding his voice and purpose
TORONTO – A couple of years ago, Aysanabee didn't see himself as an alternative music artist, but lately, he doesn't mind the label. It was thrust upon him at the 2024 Juno Awards in Halifax, where the Oji-Cree musician was nominated in three categories: contemporary Indigenous artist of the year, songwriter of the year and best alternative album for his EP 'Here and Now.' He was most surprised by the latter nod. 'At first I was like, 'Oooh, they just put me in alternative. What does that mean?'' he remembers. Junos history would've suggested Aysanabee was a shoo-in for the Indigenous category, and less likely to win the others. But the opposite happened. He became the first Indigenous artist to win the alternative album and songwriter categories. Looking back, Aysanabee considers those Junos a pivotal step in his search for a musical identity. His career was fast rising at the time, and many people seemed eager to put him in boxes. He was an Indigenous musician, a folk singer and pop-rock songwriter, but he found it most comfortable being seen as an alternative artist. 'I really like it, because 'alternative' is just this catch-all,' he says. 'You're not really pigeonholed. You're like, 'I'm just going to do something weird.'' Right now, Aysanabee isn't making anything especially weird, musically. But with the release of his second full-length album 'Edge of the Earth' earlier this month, he's been reflecting a lot on harnessing the power of his voice. The topic comes up several times in an hour-long chat about his sudden rise to becoming 'medium famous,' as he half-jokingly puts it. The idea of being a recognizable Canadian makes the soft-spoken musician with booming vocals a little timid, as does the suggestion that other Indigenous musicians might consider his success something to aspire to. 'I felt comfortable writing songs in a Winnebago in the forest…playing in dive bars (and) being on stage,' he says. 'One thing I found really difficult — not difficult, but I took really seriously — was becoming a role model.' He hasn't quite figured out how to handle that responsibility yet; it's something he's working on. Aysanabee was born Evan Pang, a surname he's said was given to him by his mother to avoid anti-Indigenous racism. He grew up in the small northern Ontario community of Kaministiquia, a short drive outside Thunder Bay. As the story goes, he began his music aspirations as a young adult living in a motorhome behind his mother's house, with no running water and only a generator for electricity. Music was more of a hobby at the time. Like many young men in the community, he took manual labour gigs to pay the bills. One day, while working a mining job, he fell through the ice on a frozen lake and narrowly survived. He's said the scare pushed him to chase bigger dreams. Within a short time, he had packed for Toronto, enrolled in Centennial College's three-year journalism program and was performing under the stage name Aysanabee, reclaimed from his late grandfather, a residential school survivor. Once he graduated, he took media jobs at Huffington Post and the CTV News website, but music eventually became his main focus. Aysanabee's 2022 debut album 'Watin' incorporated traits of an aspiring journalist. Its musical elements were structured around audio recordings of his late grandfather sharing memories of residential schools. 'Watin' was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, which helped put Aysanabee on the map. He followed it up the next year with the EP 'Here and Now,' which captured the fallout of a romantic breakup and seemed designed to prove he wasn't merely a concept album artist. It established him as a Canadian indie rock radio force with the hit single 'Somebody Else.' 'Edge of the Earth' arrives after that success and finds Pang assessing a life that's miles away from his past. His accomplishments now include being the first Indigenous artist to hit No. 1 on Mediabase's Canadian alternative rock airplay chart with his song 'Nomads,' and touring with Grammy-winning Montreal native Allison Russell. 'People change, we're not meant to stay the same,' he sings on the new album's opening track 'Embers,' a song about moving past a relationship. 'A lot of the songs were written during a pivotal time in my life where I signed this record deal and suddenly was getting to pursue my dreams … in a very real way,' Pang says. Of the six producers on 'Edge of the Earth,' Pang says half were women. Grammy-nominated Charlie McClean is credited for 'Embers,' while Toronto R&B singer Kyla Charter co-produced the rousing 'Home.' Juno winner Hill Kourkoutis lent her hand to the album's closer 'Dreamcatcher,' which Pang says captures his internal struggle with early success. Making space for women is something Pang prioritized from early on. He's signed to Ishkōdé Records, an Indigenous and women-led independent record label. 'It's something I am very aware of, probably because my entire team is women,' he says. 'I think a big part of my success is made by working with women, not just because of the care they put into everything they do, but because they've been put in a position (where they) have to work harder than men to carve out spaces…in this industry.' 'I feel very protected by working with women who have dubbed themselves 'the Aunties',' he adds. After being asked to dive into the significance of his album, he pauses to gather his thoughts. He says it feels self-indulgent to discuss such a personal album when social and political tumult seems at a fever pitch. '(I feel) subconscious talking about (myself) when there's so much happening in the world,' he says. 'I'm just overcome by…everything going on in the States, everything that is going on in Gaza. Everything going on everywhere. It seems like a weird time to put out a record about myself, I guess.' He admits he still struggles at times with impostor syndrome. His rise to fame came during a social reckoning that saw BIPOC creators elevated in popular culture, and like many fellow benefactors, he has sometimes wondered why he was chosen. 'I've met a lot of other Indigenous artists who have that same feeling,' he says. 'I think it's something we're always kind of working through.' Pang doesn't want other aspiring musicians to face the same internal struggles. On his current tour, he's hand-picked local Indigenous musicians at each stop to open his show, giving them a spotlight they might not have otherwise. At the end of the tour, he hopes to create a manga-style comic book that illustrates each performer as an Indigenous superhero of sorts, listing entertaining details about their careers and memories of the tour. Pang says a friend suggested the idea, and once he thought it through, he realized it would put a much-needed spotlight on Indigenous up-and-comers to 'keep the conversation going.' 'We rise and fall together,' he says. 'Building a community that helps itself, helps each other and strives to get the best for each other, is the best way to go about it.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025.
Daily Mirror
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
90s pop icon admits they lost out on Glastonbury performance for sad reason
Steps star Ian 'H' Watkins has revealed that the group was asked to perform with the Bee Gees at Glastonbury on the Pyramid stage but was unable to arrange the logistics in time Steps star Ian 'H' Watkins is one of the most memorable stars of the legendary 90's pop group who took the world by storm with a plethora of hits across the world. But now, it has come to light that there was one part of his pop career that he still holds a level of regret over - and that was missing out on performing at Glastonbury Festival. The group's song Tragedy attracted the attention of the organisers of Glastonbury which led to an invitation to perform at the sought after Pyramid stage. At the time, the hit song sold more than 1.2million copies in the UK. Speaking to Metro, the pop star explained: "The Bee Gees asked us to join them on stage. But it was a really late request, and we literally couldn't get it all together in time." He added: "Of course, some of them have passed away now, so that will never happen again. But that's another little jewel in the Steps crown." But with the group's musical Here and Now, which is set to tour around the UK ending up at London's West End, it seems the prospect of appearing on the bill of the iconic festival is clearly still on the group's mind. Ian continued: "We're the only ones, really, from that era that have all the original members and are still going, so it feels like we've earned our stripes by now." At the time of the height of his career, Ian explained that his sex life was the subject of interest among the media and felt unable to come out as gay. Recalling the moment he followed in the media footsteps of Stephen Gately and Will Young, who were revealed as gay, Ian said he received a phone call he had been desperate to avoid while on holiday. He told the publication: "They knew where I was, who I was with, and why I was there – I had a boyfriend." He added: "Immediately, I flew back from holiday, told my loved ones, told my family, told my parents, and then the next day, they didn't run the story, because I didn't give them quotes. But they threatened me for many years, and I felt like my coming out story was taken from me; my power was taken away, so it was a really emotional, dark time for me." But Ian was not alone. Boyzone star Stephen Gately and N'SYNC's Lance Bass was also struggling with press attention over their sexuality. Ian added: "If the press knew you were gay, it was a really tricky thing to be seen together or to even admit that you were friends with another closeted gay person." He then decided to forge firm friendships with his bandmates and other stars including Britany Spears. Ian continued: "All of her dancers were gay anyway. People thought I was dating Brittany a long time ago, but that obviously wasn't the case – that was strange."
Metro
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
90s pop icons missed out on Glastonbury legends slot for devastating reason
The Glastonbury legends slot almost turned a deeper shade of blue, Ian 'H' Watkins has revealed. For almost 30 years, Ian has been affectionately known as 'H', an acronym for Hyperactive – his energetic character being an instrumental part of Steps' success when personalities in pop weren't just all the rage, they were essential. It's a moniker which is a lot to live up to, though, particularly when you're in a band as exposed as Steps were. If they weren't playing to a sell-out arena, they were rarely off television, almost on SM:TV as much as Ant and Dec. In 1997, 5,6,7,8 was unleashed on the world to moderate success in the charts, but ruled school discos. It was a steady rise to the top of the charts for Steps when their fourth single, a cover of The Bee Gees' hit Tragedy, and a B Side of ballad Heartbeat got to number one in such an extraordinary fashion. It's sold more than 1.2million copies in the UK alone, a remarkable feat for any pop act from the Smash Hits era, and almost got them a spot on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury when it was saturated with nothing but guitar bands and 90s house DJs. 'The Bee Gees asked us to join them on stage,' Ian tells Metro. 'But it was a really late request, and we literally couldn't get it all together in time. Of course, some of them have passed away now, so that will never happen again. But that's another little jewel in the Steps crown.' With their own critically acclaimed musical, Here and Now, about to tour the UK and eventually make it to the West End, there are few things left on the Steps bucket list to tick off but they're not deterred from one day getting on that coveted Glastonbury bill, either in the Legends slot or the festival's first pop-friendly stage, Avalon. 'We're the only ones, really, from that era that have all the original members and are still going, so it feels like we've earned our stripes by now.' More than earning their stripes, Steps are still headlining festivals and breaking records. In 2022, they joined an exclusive club of bands to score a number one album across four decades. But now Watkins is on stage and topping charts as his true, authentic self. He has nothing to hide anymore – it's not the 90s when, if you were a good-looking male, the press was frothing to uncover secrets about your sex life. For Ian, there was always an underlying fear that they would discover he was gay when the press had a field day outing gay pop stars like Will Young and Stephen Gately. During one holiday with his then-boyfriend, Ian got the call he'd been dreading. 'They knew where I was, who I was with, and why I was there – I had a boyfriend. Immediately, I flew back from holiday, told my loved ones, told my family, told my parents, and then the next day, they didn't run the story, because I didn't give them quotes. 'But they threatened me for many years, and I felt like my coming out story was taken from me; my power was taken away, so it was a really emotional, dark time for me.' He wasn't alone, though. There were several pop stars gathered in the same closet, cautiously able to give solace to one another. Ian became particularly close with Lance Bass of N'SYNC and Boyzone's Gateley, but concedes: 'If the press knew you were gay, it was a really tricky thing to be seen together or to even admit that you were friends with another closeted gay person.' Instead, he clung to his closest straight women. His bandmate Lisa Scott-Lee, the girls from Liberty X and S Club… and Britney Spears. 'All of her dancers were gay anyway,' he says. 'People thought I was dating Brittany a long time ago, but that obviously wasn't the case – that was strange.' Ian is about to turn 50. Hyperactivity is no longer the personality he's defined by. His life is calmer, albeit busy with running his two children to school, walking the dogs, building a home, and organising his local annual Pride with his partner. 'Since having children, I've realised that education starts really early on, and it drowns out the bigotry,' he says. 'I go to all of the local schools and talk about how being different is something to be celebrated. My partner and I organise Cowbridge Pride, which is in its fifth year now. 'Cowbridge used to be the most conservative, laidback town, but now we have 2000 people marching every year, and we raise money for all of the schools to have LGBT resources in all of their libraries.' Ian is exactly where he's meant to be in life, and with Steps on a hiatus, he's finally managed to turn his passion project into a reality – a children's book, Pride and The Rainbow Warriors, educating children (and some parents) about LGBTQ+ history. All of the main characters represent a different colour in the original Pride flag, and all have traits corresponding to the original meaning. More importantly, Ian is finally cool to his children. 'Two of them are named after my kids – it's lush,' he grins. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video For those of us old enough to remember sneakily watching Queer As Folk with the volume turned down to one and one eye on the bedroom door in case anyone walked in, a children's book about LGBTQ+ was inconceivable. More Trending Now, with shows like Heartstopper becoming so hugely popular and a plethora of openly LGBTQ+ popstars ruling the charts, the world feels unrecognisable compared to just a few years ago. How children look at and look up to LGBTQ+ people is completely different today. 'It's something that I felt we needed, because there's a real lack of resources for children of all ages, also parents to be educated too,' he says. 'It's all about celebrating your superpower, and being different is an amazing thing. 'I was bullied terribly growing up because I was different, and I didn't know at that time what that different was. Luckily, I had an amazing art teacher, Mr. Owen, who is still one of my dear friends today, but if it wasn't for that man, who knows where I would have ended up.' Pride and The Rainbow Warriors is available in paperback now . Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: I went to Glastonbury and discovered it's just really overrated MORE: Heartbreaking reason Glastonbury nearly ended in the late 90s MORE: Glastonbury mystery performer 'gives away' appearance with arrival in the UK
Metro
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Steps narrowly missed out on Glastonbury legends slot for devastating reason
For almost 30 years, Ian Watkins has been affectionately known as 'H', an acronym for Hyperactive – his energetic character being an instrumental part of Steps' success when personalities in pop weren't just all the rage, they were essential. It's a moniker which is a lot to live up to, though, particularly when you're in a band as exposed as Steps were. If they weren't playing to a sell-out arena, they were rarely off television, almost on SM:TV as much as Ant and Dec. In 1997, 5,6,7,8 was unleashed on the world to moderate success in the charts, but ruled school discos. It was a steady rise to the top of the charts for Steps when their fourth single, a cover of The Bee Gees' hit Tragedy, and a B Side of ballad Heartbeat got to number one in such an extraordinary fashion. It's sold more than 1.2million copies in the UK alone, a remarkable feat for any pop act from the Smash Hits era, and almost got them a spot on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury when it was saturated with nothing but guitar bands and 90s house DJs. 'The Bee Gees asked us to join them on stage,' Ian tells Metro. 'But it was a really late request, and we literally couldn't get it all together in time. Of course, some of them have passed away now, so that will never happen again. But that's another little jewel in the Steps crown.' With their own critically acclaimed musical, Here and Now, about to tour the UK and eventually make it to the West End, there are few things left on the Steps bucket list to tick off but they're not deterred from one day getting on that coveted Glastonbury bill, either in the Legends slot or the festival's first pop-friendly stage, Avalon. 'We're the only ones, really, from that era that have all the original members and are still going, so it feels like we've earned our stripes by now.' More than earning their stripes, Steps are still headlining festivals and breaking records. In 2022, they joined an exclusive club of bands to score a number one album across four decades. But now Watkins is on stage and topping charts as his true, authentic self. He has nothing to hide anymore – it's not the 90s when, if you were a good-looking male, the press was frothing to uncover secrets about your sex life. For Ian, there was always an underlying fear that they would discover he was gay when the press had a field day outing gay pop stars like Will Young and Stephen Gately. During one holiday with his then-boyfriend, Ian got the call he'd been dreading. 'They knew where I was, who I was with, and why I was there – I had a boyfriend. Immediately, I flew back from holiday, told my loved ones, told my family, told my parents, and then the next day, they didn't run the story, because I didn't give them quotes. 'But they threatened me for many years, and I felt like my coming out story was taken from me; my power was taken away, so it was a really emotional, dark time for me.' He wasn't alone, though. There were several pop stars gathered in the same closet, cautiously able to give solace to one another. Ian became particularly close with Lance Bass of N'SYNC and Boyzone's Gateley, but concedes: 'If the press knew you were gay, it was a really tricky thing to be seen together or to even admit that you were friends with another closeted gay person.' Instead, he clung to his closest straight women. His bandmate Lisa Scott-Lee, the girls from Liberty X and S Club… and Britney Spears. 'All of her dancers were gay anyway,' he says. 'People thought I was dating Brittany a long time ago, but that obviously wasn't the case – that was strange.' Ian is about to turn 50. Hyperactivity is no longer the personality he's defined by. His life is calmer, albeit busy with running his two children to school, walking the dogs, building a home, and organising his local annual Pride with his partner. 'Since having children, I've realised that education starts really early on, and it drowns out the bigotry,' he says. 'I go to all of the local schools and talk about how being different is something to be celebrated. My partner and I organise Cowbridge Pride, which is in its fifth year now. 'Cowbridge used to be the most conservative, laidback town, but now we have 2000 people marching every year, and we raise money for all of the schools to have LGBT resources in all of their libraries.' Ian is exactly where he's meant to be in life, and with Steps on a hiatus, he's finally managed to turn his passion project into a reality – a children's book, Pride and The Rainbow Warriors, educating children (and some parents) about LGBTQ+ history. All of the main characters represent a different colour in the original Pride flag, and all have traits corresponding to the original meaning. More importantly, Ian is finally cool to his children. 'Two of them are named after my kids – it's lush,' he grins. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video For those of us old enough to remember sneakily watching Queer As Folk with the volume turned down to one and one eye on the bedroom door in case anyone walked in, a children's book about LGBTQ+ was inconceivable. More Trending Now, with shows like Heartstopper becoming so hugely popular and a plethora of openly LGBTQ+ popstars ruling the charts, the world feels unrecognisable compared to just a few years ago. How children look at and look up to LGBTQ+ people is completely different today. 'It's something that I felt we needed, because there's a real lack of resources for children of all ages, also parents to be educated too,' he says. 'It's all about celebrating your superpower, and being different is an amazing thing. 'I was bullied terribly growing up because I was different, and I didn't know at that time what that different was. Luckily, I had an amazing art teacher, Mr. Owen, who is still one of my dear friends today, but if it wasn't for that man, who knows where I would have ended up.' Pride and The Rainbow Warriors is available in paperback now . Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: For the latest Glastonbury weather forecast you need to follow a guy called Gav MORE: Drug warning issued ahead of Glastonbury after high-strength MDMA found at Parklife MORE: Glastonbury boss confirms 'exciting plans' for Worthy Farm in 2026 despite fallow year
