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Black Belt Eagle Scout, Blackwater(Holylight), Shortline

Black Belt Eagle Scout record release show.

Katherine Paul is Black Belt Eagle Scout. Growing up on a small Indian reservation, Pauls family was focused on native drumming, singing, and arts. Native American music is the foundation for all of my music, Paul explains. With the support of her family and a handful of bootleg Hole and Nirvana VHS tapes, Paul taught herself how to play guitar. In 2007, Paul moved to Portland, OR, to attend school and get involved with the Rock n Roll Camp for Girls. Paul has switched between guitar and drums in an assortment of projects over the last decade, citing Forest Park as a particularly strong influence on how her songwriting has grown. It was my introduction to post-rock, Paul recalls, From there, I was able to develop my own sound and style more.

On Mother of My Children, Black Belt Eagle Scout tenderly blends post-rock with Pauls earlier grunge influences and later, more confessional Pacific Northwest artists like Ô Paon and Mirah. The album begins with the singles Soft Stud and Indians Never Die, and on the latter, Pauls message is clear: Its a call out to colonizers and those who dont respect the Earth; they dont care about the water, they dont care about how they are destroying what is around them. Indigenous people are the protectors of this land, and others need to wake up and get on the same page. The songs weave together to capture both the enduring and fleeting experiences of loss, frustration, and dreaming. The structures are traditional, but the lyrics dont adhere to any format other than what feels right in the moment. I dont play music to write songs, Paul explains, I play music to process feelings, and sometimes what comes out of that is a song. Paired with Pauls clear and measured voice, each song leaves the listener feeling as if they were there when the song was written, the immediate, candid emotion tangible.

Mother of My Children is a life chapter gently preserved, and the access listeners have to such vulnerability feels special and generous. We are left wanting more, and all signs point to Black Belt Eagle Scout just getting started. The album is out on Good Cheer Records in August 2017.

Support by Blackwater(Holylight) & Shortline