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The dawn of the pandemic posed a crippling setback for Katherine Paul, the driving force behind the indie rock band Black Belt Eagle Scout. All her planned tours, including a headlining one across North America, were abruptly canceled, and she was haunted by the potential collapse of her burgeoning music career.

In response, she took up a day job at a nonprofit and retreated to the ancestral territories of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in Western Washington. As Paul, also known as KP amongst her friends, spent time within the cedar woods and along the Skagit River, she sought solace in her guitar to cope with the seclusion and pressure. The fragments she recorded on her phone eventually served as the groundwork for the composition of songs in her impactful, grunge-infused new album “The Land, The Water, The Sky.”

“Without the pandemic, this album would probably not have come to life,” KP admitted, as she is the songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist of the band, which was the sole Native American act at the recent Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago.

“My time outdoors increased significantly. I went hiking more often than usual, connecting with the land,” she added. “Though it’s not something entirely new to me, it brought me back to my roots and my identity.”

The new album, released in February, set the stage for what is likely the most successful year so far for Black Belt Eagle Scout. The band has toured Europe and plans to visit Australia later this year. Two of her songs, “Soft Stud” from an earlier album and “Salmon Stinta” from her most recent one, are featured in the current season of the TV series “Reservation Dogs.”

Tiffany Anders, the music supervisor for Reservation Dogs, mentioned being introduced to the band’s music by the show’s creator, Sterlin Harjo, during the start of the second season.

“Our show has always prioritized including Native American artists, but Black Belt Eagle Scout’s music surpasses mere representation. It’s beautifully emotive and perfectly captures the characters, their world and landscape, and the show’s overall ambiance,” she said in a statement.

Pitchfork, a three-day festival and a significant landmark for indie musicians, was another notable event. Held annually in Chicago’s Union Park, this year’s headliners included Bon Iver, Big Thief, and The Smile, comprising members of Radiohead.

She confessed that her high expectations for the show and the potential threat of stormy weather causing a cancellation made stepping on the stage extremely nerve-wracking. However, once she began to perform her new songs to the eager crowd, she found comfort in her guitar. She mesmerized the audience with extended jams, marked by her twirling her dark hair to the point where it covered her face.

“That was definitely a moment,” she said, laughing.

“I kind of teared up after we played because it felt so significant,” she added. “I’ve always dreamt of performing at this music festival. I remember trying to play one of the years before the pandemic during my tour, but it didn’t materialize. This year, I was just so thrilled to perform.”

The journey to Pitchfork has been a long one for the 34-year-old artist, a member of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. She left her home on the reservation in LaConner, Washington, at age 17 to attend Lewis & Clark College in Oregon and immerse herself in rock music.

Raised on the reservation located off the Washington coast on the islands of the Salish Sea, she grew up drumming and singing cultural songs. As a teen, she was influenced by local Pacific Northwest bands like Mount Eerie and the sounds of the Riot Grrrl movement. After her first gig at a small bar called the Department of Safety, she moved to Portland, Oregon, due to its significant influence in the indie scene and quickly got involved in the music scene as a drummer and guitarist.

Joining an all-female group she met at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls in Portland was a significant step. She continued playing numerous small, basement shows with bands like Genders and proudly bears their wolf tattoo on her left arm.

However, she longed to write her own songs, leading to the formation of Black Belt Eagle Scout in 2013. Her early music was characterized by her ethereal vocals on themes of love, friendship, and healing, usually paired with minimalist guitar strumming. Yet she demonstrated her rock prowess on tracks like “Soft Stud,” showcasing blistering solos.

“She is a genuinely authentic musician and she carries a lot of power on stage with her presence and sound,” said Claire Glass, a bandmate and guitar player who first saw KP seven years ago.

KP’s Native American identity has always influenced her records. Her latest work paints a more vivid picture of life on the Swinomish reservation, including references to chinook salmon, traditionally fished, and a powwow dance.

“I started reflecting on my gratitude for the life I’ve been given; this place I’m from; the importance of the land, water, and sky to me — being enveloped by it,” KP said of writing the song ”Don’t Give Up.” “It carries so much more meaning because the land is where my people are from.”

Her songs aren’t intended to directly confront issues like the crisis of missing and murdered Native American women or forced tribal relocation. She prefers her music to create a connection with people, attracting more Native Americans to indie rock shows in places like Minneapolis, home to a vibrant Native American community, and inspiring young Native Americans to engage with her after performances.

“Isn’t my existence and music sufficient? Can’t I just be who I am?” she asked, adding she doesn’t need to vocally address these issues on stage because being Native often means she is already grappling with them. For instance, a judge recently ruled that BNSF Railway deliberately breached the terms of an easement agreement with the tribe by running 100-car trains carrying crude oil across the reservation.

“As a Native person, you inevitably know someone who is missing. Your tribe is constantly striving to reclaim your land. These are subjects that form part of your daily life,” she said. ”I deeply care about these matters but there are certain ways in which my music, although perhaps not as direct, can offer healing.”

KP also doesn’t want to be defined solely as a rock musician or as a Native artist. “I am a musician who happens to be Native, but I am also a Native musician … I believe I am always both,” she said.

Her latest album aims to demonstrate this.

“While creating the album, I kept thinking ‘What would Built to Spill do?’” KP referred to the guitar-heavy, indie-rock band from the Pacific Northwest. “Having toured with them and watched their three guitars playing together in harmony, I was inspired.”

The new album also marks a more collaborative effort, a shift from KP’s usual solo approach. It features a cellist who played with Nirvana, Lori Goldston, on several tracks, along with two violinists, as well as a saxophone and mellotron player.

Takiaya Reed, a first-time producer and member of a doom metal band, described the experience of working on the record as “beautiful and amazing.” She and KP bonded over their mutual love for punk, and Reed brought her classical training and love for “heavier sounds” to the studio

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Katherine Paul’s New Album Influenced by her Homecoming to Swinomish Tribe’s Ancestral Territory

The onset of the pandemic proved to be a challenging time for Katherine Paul, the front person of indie rock group Black Belt Eagle Scout, as all her scheduled tours, including a major North American one, got cancelled. This led her to fear the potential end of her budding music career.

She secured a day job at a nonprofit and returned to her roots, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community’s ancestral lands in Western Washington. Amidst the isolation and stress, Paul, also known as KP among her friends, found solace in her guitar as she spent time in the cedar forests and by the Skagit River. These guitar sessions, recorded on her phone, eventually laid the groundwork for her new, grunge-infused album, “The Land, The Water, The Sky.”

KP expressed that if it wasn’t for the pandemic, this album might never have been created. Immersed in nature, she felt reconnected to her roots and identity. She is the songwriter, vocalist and guitarist for the band, which was the only Native American act at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago this month.

The release of this record in February triggered what could be the most triumphant year for Black Belt Eagle Scout so far. The band toured Europe and will be heading to Australia later in the year. Two of KP’s tracks, “Soft Stud” from a previous album and “Salmon Stinta” from the current one, are featured in the TV series “Reservation Dogs” this season.

Tiffany Anders, Music Supervisor for Reservation Dogs, shared that the creator of the show, Sterlin Harjo, introduced her to the band’s music while working on the second season. Anders complimented the band’s music for being beautiful, emotional and fitting to the show’s characters and their world.

The Pitchfork Festival, a three-day event considered a significant stepping-stone for indie musicians, was another highlight for KP. Despite initial nervousness and fear of potential weather disruptions, KP found comfort in her guitar and delivered a remarkable performance to the audience.

Making it to Pitchfork was a significant accomplishment for the 34-year-old artist, who left her reservation in LaConner, Washington at 17 to pursue her passion for rock music at Lewis & Clark College in Oregon. Raised on the Salish Sea islands, she grew up singing cultural songs and drumming.

She later discovered local Pacific Northwest bands such as Mount Eerie and the Riot Grrrl movement, which motivated her to perform her first gigs and move to Portland, Oregon, a hotspot for the indie scene. She joined an all-female band that she met at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls in Portland and performed at several small underground shows.

In 2013, she formed Black Belt Eagle Scout to write her own songs. Her music, initially characterized by ethereal vocals about love, friendship and healing with minimal guitar accompaniment, evolved to include rock elements.

Claire Glass, a band member, praised KP for her authentic music and her powerful stage presence. KP’s Native American identity always shines through her records, but her latest album offers a more detailed portrayal of life on the Swinomish reservation, referencing traditional elements like chinook salmon fishing and a powwow dance.

KP’s songs don’t confront issues like missing and murdered Native American women or forced tribal relocations directly. Instead, she hopes her songs resonate with people, attract more Native Americans to indie rock shows and inspire young Native Americans.

Being a Native American, KP argues, inherently means dealing with these issues. For instance, in March a judge ruled that BNSF Railway had intentionally violated an agreement with the tribe by transporting crude oil across the reservation.

KP emphasizes that she is both a musician who happens to be Native and a Native musician. Her latest record, a collaborative effort with several musicians including a cellist who previously played with Nirvana, is a testament to this.

The album production experience, as described by first-time producer Takiaya Reed, was “beautiful and amazing”, with the two bonding over their love for punk and heavier sounds.

Finally, KP involved her parents, with whom she became particularly close during the pandemic, in the album. They lend their voices to the song “Spaces,” which KP describes as having a “healing vibe.” This integration of her parents’ voices was particularly meaningful to KP, signifying a full-circle moment in her identity.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Katherine Paul’s new album

More about Katherine Paul’s new album

• Black Belt Eagle Scout’s Official Website
• Reservation Dogs Official TV Show Page
• Pitchfork Music Festival Official Site
• Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Official Site
• Built to Spill’s Official Website