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Today, Plains Cree and Coast Salish singer-songwriter Tia Wood releases her highly anticipated debut record “Dirt Roads” on Sony Music Entertainment Canada. LISTEN HERE. 

Tia was born and raised in Saddle Lake Cree Nation, a community of about 6000 people in Treaty 6 territory, a roughly two-hour drive east of the Alberta capital of Edmonton, and her family carries a rich musical and cultural heritage. Her father, Earl Wood, co-founded and was a member of the legendary JUNO Award-winning and Grammy-nominated powwow drum group Northern Cree; her mother, Cynthia Jim, was in an all-women drum group; and her sister, Fawn Wood, is also a JUNO Award-winning singer. A seasoned entertainer in her own right, Tia has amassed an audience of over three million followers across Instagram and TikTok, creating and sharing Indigenized sounds and content that is by turns hilarious and poignant. 

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In 2020, Tia followed her wanderlust and set out for Los Angeles, turning a two-week stay into a semi-permanent move. The result is “Dirt Roads,” a song both about the thrill of “sunny days and happy faces in the land where dreams are made,” and also about feeling displaced so far from home. “Should I take out my braids or leave them in? They look at me like I’m a Martian,” Wood sings stirringly, invoking imagery and emotions relatable for anyone who’s left home for a new beginning in the city, especially Indigenous youth, as Tia grappled with the loss of access to her culture and traditions while in LA. 

But it’s the song’s refrain that echoes a comforting familiarity: “Dirt roads lead me back home.” The song is at once a love letter to Saddle Lake and her people, and a heartfelt reminder for so many others who feel the pull of family and home while following dreams in the big city. 

“It’s about leaving home and kind of stepping out into a new world,” says Tia. “Because when I used to live on the rez, I feel like the reason why I left is because I wanted to go see the world and figure out who I was. So that’s kind of the theme of it all. It’s just kind of being a young adult and going through young adult things.” The track, co-written and produced by Cameron (Cambo) Bartolini (Doja Cat, Walker Hayes), features Tia’s soulful voice and lush production and sets the stage for the stirring music video, also out today. WATCH HERE. 

In the video, Tia returns to Saddle Lake, and is surrounded by family and loved ones, firmly rooted in the culture and community on the rez. Directed by Yana Malik, viewers are immersed in Tia’s home, and those “Dirt Roads” she longed for when she was far away. Beautiful, soaring shots of Indian Horse Relay racing; her mother braiding her hair; driving with her sister and friend; eating and living and loving together. The video is intimate and grand and up to the task of matching Tia’s songwriting and vocals – which also pull off the difficult trick of feeling both larger-than-life and quietly revealing. 

There is so much more to come from Tia Wood. We can’t wait to share it.