Deerlady

Photo by Kaelyn Lynch

Listen On

Deerlady is Mali Obomsawin and Magdalena Abrego, and their debut album Greatest Hits is my favorite album of the year, and this is also one of my favorite interviews because we had so much fun!

I first heard Deerlady on my old college radio station, WTHS at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, when they played "Bounty.” It was one of those moments when you hear a song for the first time, stop whatever it is that you're doing, love it immediately, then listen to the entire album.

Here’s their backstory. Obomsawin is a citizen of Odanak First Nation. She's a Berkelee-trained composer and bassist who leads the Mali Obomsawin Sextet, a jazz group. Abrego , a composer and guitarist, is also Berkelee-trained and has a Master of Music (M.M.) from New England Conservatory, where she's on the faculty.

These are not, as you can tell, rock gigs. And that's why Obomsawin and Abrego love Deerlady: it's an unveiling that plays to their inner rocker. Greatest Hits is full of incredible guitar work and stunning vocals. Obomsawin told Stereogum, "It feels great to be in a rock band, like that's my natural state," while Abrego says that the band "feels like an unmasking."

And they play to each other’s strengths. By her own admission, Obamsowin writes lyrics with relative ease but often reaches an impasse when it comes to writing music. Abrego is the opposite: the music comes pretty easily, but lyrics can be a struggle.

You may recognize “There, There” from season three of the tv series “Reservation Dogs.” This is my new favorite band.