New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Sebastian Gaskin - Toronto-based, Tataskweyak Cree Nation-raised multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and producer - releases the official music video for "Shadows" today via Ishkōdé Records and Universal Music.
Directed by Adit Dixit, the video provides a visual encapsulation of the grief in Gaskin's lyrics, also mirroring the intensity of the song's production with a dynamic performance in the rain.
"Shadows" is the focus track from Gaskin's debut album LOVECHILD, which released to critical and fan acclaim last month. Earning a five-star review from NEXT Magazine and being described as a "cross-cultural deep dive into love, loss, and resilience" by IN Magazine, LOVECHILD has served as a fantastic discovery vehicle for Gaskin, with the launch of the album becoming his strongest career streaming debut to date. The album cements Gaskin as one of the most exciting Canadian artists to watch right now.
The eleven-track opus is rooted in R&B and pop with hits of soul and indie rock shining through, marking the perfect showcase of Gaskin's vast musical influences. A couple of musical interludes beautifully tie the project together. "My life has never been lived to the sound of one genre, so why should my debut album be any different?" says Gaskin.
"LOVECHILD is a documentation of the last six years of my life," he continues. "All the happiness, the heartache, the sadness, and the lost and found. Throughout the album, you'll find celebrations of love, self-exploration, and the five stages of grief. There are songs that invite you to dance, songs you can cry to, and songs to soundtrack your everyday life."
Nominated for two awards at the 2025 JUNO Awards, including Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year for "Brown Man" and Recording Engineer of the Year (Hill Kourkoutis for "Ghost"), Gaskin has been hailed as an artist that is "destined for greatness" by the Toronto Star.
Gaskin is performing as direct support for Aysanabee at The Axis Club in Toronto on March 21, and is also confirmed as a performer at JUNOfest presented by CBC Music on Friday, March 28 at The Fox Cabaret in Vancouver. In May, he takes the stage at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton, UK before performing at Série Croissant-Musique in Québec in June. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements from Sebastian Gaskin.
How does an emotional aftermath evolve into a creative epiphany? For award-winning Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter and producer Sebastian Gaskin, first, he gets comfortable with the outcome, then gets to work sculpting his experience into a song. It's the mark of an artist unafraid to look deeply into themselves— through the process, he creates a sonic offering designed to embrace our many broken pieces, all the while reminding us that love and vulnerability are acts of resistance.
Growing up in Tataskweyak Cree Nation in Northern Manitoba in the early 2000s, Gaskin's mother kept the radio dialled to country stations and his grandmother, a respected community leader, belted out Southern gospel classics. Gaskin's cousin introduced him to Metallica's iconic sound and heavy riffs, which influenced him to pick up a guitar for the first time. As a teenager, he found endless inspiration sifting through music forums on Tumblr, wandering down rabbit holes of British indie rock, or becoming enchanted with Chief Keef's 808s.
Intentionally genre amorphous, Gaskin's music is grounded in bold intuition and gut instinct. At once, conjuring the timeless spirit of Bill Withers and the musical virtuosity of John Mayer, with the mischievous wordplay of Post Malone and Pro Era. A dynamic producer and arranger, Gaskin's ear for collaboration has led him to work with Evan Miles (dvsn, renforshort) and Milano (Icona Pop) to reimagine the potential of each genre he explores. He has performed at venues and festival stages around the world, supporting artists ranging from Common, T-Pain, and others. His debut album LOVECHILD is out now via the Indigenous-owned music company Ishkōdé Records, and Universal Music.
