Q&A with The Jerry Cans
The Jerry Cans create music inspired by their hometown of Iqaluit, Nunavut, in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. With their unique mix of Inuktitut alt-country, throat singing and reggae, The Jerry Cans are truly one of a kind.
Interview with Chelsea Heaney.
The band performs many of their songs in Inuktitut and are passionate about preserving the language. They are also committed to challenging some of the misperceptions about life in the Arctic; their music evokes the contemporary north and the spirited people that reside there. Vocalist and guitarist Andrew Morrison and accordion player and throat singer Nancy Mike spoke to Off The Leash and shared a glimpse of life and music in the Arctic.
What was the first concert you ever went to?
The band has a wide range of first concerts but Nancy saw the Inuk superstar Susan Aglukkaq, and I saw The Village People. It is quite the contrast but still interesting! When we were growing up in Nunavut very few bands came up north so we never saw much live music but when we did – it had a very strong impact. We try to play often all over our territory to try and get young people excited about the potential of music.
Your favourite albums of all time?
Ooh tough question! Again, because of where we live, we grew up with little access to outside music and the few CDs we had at the store were listened to over and over and over again. In terms of favourites, Nancy absolutely loves Angus and Julia Stone’s album Down the Way – and she’s so excited to be in their country. My favourite is less interesting but is one of the most amazing artists, Bob Dylan with Freewheelin’. Listening to that album taught me a whole new way of thinking about telling stories.
Finish this sentence. My friends would describe me as...
Well I would describe Nancy as Superwoman. She is the mother of two young daughters, she just finished her nursing degree and is travelling the world educating audiences about what modern life is like in Inuit communities. This is not always easy as people have some very misplaced and sometimes even racist ideas of what life is like where we come from, but this type of work is some of the most important and really needs to be done. Nancy is an inspiration!
Whose posters did you have stuck to the wall when you were a teenager?
Nancy had posters of the one and only Leonardo Dicaprio, and was very happy when he finally won an Academy Award. She doesn’t have them anymore but now that you ask we might try and find one to put in our living room.
Describe your sound in three words.
Life, dance, love.
The Jerry Can's new album Inuusiq/Life is out now.
