Sudbury musician finds home for her 'grief rage' sound with Ishkōdé Records

Sudbury artist Thea May recently signed to Ishkōdé Records, bringing a rock alternative sound she calls "grief rage" after shifting away from her pop roots.

After suddenly losing her partner a few years ago, May said she was inspired to create her debut EP: Brought to You by Tragedy.

"I met someone, we fell in love and 45 days later he died. And it was insane, and it was quick, and it was hard," she said. 

The Anishinaabe musician from Atikameksheng said personal loss is not "strange to Indigenous people," and hopes her music makes listeners feel understood and validated. 

10:38Thea May signs to Ishkōdé Records, enters new, grittier territory with latest album, "Brought To You By Tragedy"

Ever heard of grief rage? That's one of the big emotions Sudbury artist Thea May weaves through her latest album. She dropped by the studio to take us on a journey through her raw and real process and catch us up on some big developments in her career.

"I'm looking at crowds of people that are resonating with all of this sad stuff and and I can't ask for anything better, because I think that we should gather in hard times," May said.

Having struggled for years to discuss her own painful experiences, she said it's incredibly difficult to confront deep emotional wounds, but explained that speaking about her trauma has led to unexpected healing. 

"I had always tried to write happy songs. I wanted to not be the sad girl, but my life was sad and the things that I experienced were sad. So I think that being vulnerable has made me feel so much more safe in myself," May said.

By sharing her vulnerable experiences through music, May hopes to inspire others to open up about their own stories. 

Signing onto Ishkōdé Records

May said she feels her music has found its true home with Ishkōdé Records, describing the label as a supportive environment for her challenging and emotionally taxing work.

"I'm feeling really excited. I'm feeling like my art landed in the right place." 

With a strong management and production team behind her, May is grateful for the support and feels her art has been embraced by the right people, whom she affectionately refers to as her "Ishkōdé aunties and uncles."

May said when she performs for people directly connected to her story — like the parents of her late partner — she feels she's helping them reconnect with their grief in a way that feels supportive and validating. 

"I've always performed ... but I didn't feel like everybody was honestly always listening. Now I feel like people are listening," she said. 

May said she's already working on new music and planning more shows.

"Things are just sort of building themselves up right now, like I'm receiving so much love from the industry and from fans, and I'm gaining new traction every day, and it's insane," she said.  

"What's next is just more music and more stories and more real things. I think the one thing that I love is that I'm writing about real stuff, and I'm writing about things that matter."