Amanda Rheaume Essentials

Amanda Rheaume’s earthy music is anchored by her experiences as an Indigenous woman and citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario. Born in 1982 in Ottawa, Rheaume cut her teeth playing rock ‘n’ roll in the bars of Canada’s capital, and she released her debut, Light of Another Day, in 2011. On 2013’s Keep a Fire, she explores her Métis identity, delving into family stories over warm folk-rock arrangements. While Holding Patterns (2016) and The Skin I’m In (2019) lean into poppier sounds, Rheaume builds a rich roots-rock vibe on 2022’s The Spaces In Between. On that, she examines her experiences in the 2SLGBTQ+ community and dives deeper into her heritage on songs like “100 Years,” inspired by 19th-century Métis leader Louis Riel’s spirit of resistance. Rheaume’s work doesn’t stop at songwriting—she is also the cofounder of Indigenous label Ishkōdé Records.