Joe Rainey

An indigenous singer who blends centuries-old musical traditions with contemporary electronic production, Joe Rainey is taking powwow music to places it's never been before. A member of the Red Lake Ojibwe people, Rainey was making field recordings of respected powwow drummers for years before he began singing in the traditional style, and after making fans of several noted indie and electronic artists, he began collaborating to create a sound that honored the music's past while introducing it to a new audience, adding loops, beats, and ambient elements that complement the mood of the music. After making a name for himself among native listeners with his work in the groups Midnite Express and Iron Boy, Rainey took his powwow music in a bold new direction on his debut album, 2022's Niineta.