Acclaimed Inuk singer-songwriter Elisapie has graced KEXP with a stunning live set, performing songs from her 2018 LP The Ballad of the Runaway Girl and her latest record, Inuktitut — a covers album that she reveals was supposed to be kept a "secret."
Accompanied by her talented band, including Jean-Sébastien Williams on guitar, Joshua Toal on bass and Gregory Fitzgerald on drums, Elisapie generously displayed the distinct blend of Inuit-influenced folk and pop sounds that have defined her career, performing "Uummati Attanarsimat (Heart of Glass)," "Isumagijunnaitaungituq (The Unforgiven)," "Wolves Don't Live by the Rules" and "Arnaq."
Before wrapping up her appearance at the Seattle radio station, Elisapie sat down with DJ Kevin Sur for a conversation about language as healing, the strength of Inuit women, growing up listening to Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin and much more. Watch the performance below.
The artist has been on a roll as of late, with the recent reissue of Taima, the self-titled album from her early band, and booking an upcoming appearance at Mariposa Folk Festival this summer.