Name: The Land. The Water, The Sky
Brand: Black Belt Eagle Scout

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

LBJ339LPC1

Colour

Blue

Colour details

Blue Smoke Marbled

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: Yes

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2023-02-24

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

0648401033991

Total Cap

1 / Blue / Extended format: Yes / LP

LBJ339CD

Extended format: No

0648401033922

1 / CD

LBJ339LP

Black

0648401033915

1 / Black / LP

Artist

Black Belt Eagle Scout

Genre GB

Alternative / Modern

Label GB

Saddle Creek

Saddle Creek is an indie rock style label based in Omaha, Nebraska. Established in 1993 by Mike Mogis and Justin Oberst, the label was originally called Lumberjack Records. However, Mogis soon passed on his role to Conor Oberst, who took over as the head of the company. With a focus on independent music and a passion for supporting emerging artists, Saddle Creek has become a prominent name in the music industry.
Over the years, Saddle Creek has been home to various talented musicians and bands, including Bright Eyes, Cursive, and The Faint. Known for their unique sound and authentic approach to music-making, these artists have helped shape the label's identity.
With its headquarters in Omaha, Saddle Creek continues to be at the forefront of indie rock music. Their dedication to fostering creativity and providing a platform for up-and-coming talent makes them a respected authority in the industry.

Black Belt Eagle Scout is the musical project of Katherine Paul, a Native American musician hailing from Portland, Oregon. Drawing inspiration from her indigenous roots and personal experiences, Paul creates introspective and emotionally charged indie rock music. Her captivating vocals and poignant lyrics explore themes of identity, love, and healing. With a unique blend of dreamy melodies and raw guitar riffs, Black Belt Eagle Scout's music resonates with listeners on a deep level.
Katherine Paul's journey as an artist began at a young age when she started playing drums in her school band. Over the years, she honed her skills as a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. In 2018, she released her debut album "Mother of My Children," which received critical acclaim for its intimate storytelling and powerful soundscapes.
Since then, Black Belt Eagle Scout has continued to captivate audiences with their thought-provoking music. Their sophomore album "At the Party With My Brown Friends" further showcases Paul's talent for crafting emotive songs that resonate with listeners from all walks of life. Through her artistry, Black Belt Eagle Scout invites us to reflect on our own journeys while celebrating the power of self-expression.

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This land runs through Katherine Paul’s blood. And it called to her. In dreams she saw the river, her ancestors, and her home. When the land calls, you listen. And KP found herself far from her ancestral lands during a time of collective trauma, when the world was wounded and in need of healing. In 2020 she made the journey from Portland back to the Skagit River, back to the cedartrees that stand tall and shrouded in fog, back to the tide flats and the mountains, back to Swinomish.&nbsp;

It is a powerful thing to return to our ancestral lands and often times the journey is not easy. Like the salmon through the currents, like the tide as it crawls to shore this is a story of return. It is the call and response. It is the outstretched arms of the people who came before, welcoming her home. The Land, The Water, The Sky is a celebration of lineage and strength. Even in its deepest moments of loneliness and grief, of frustration over a world wrought with colonial violence and pain, the songs remind us that if we slow down, if we listen to the waves and the wind through the trees, we will remember to breathe.&nbsp;

There is a throughline of story in every song, a remembrance of knowledge and teachings, a gratitude of wisdom passed down and carried. There is a reimagining of Sedna who was offered to the sea, and a beautiful rumination on sacrifice and humanity, and what it means to hold the stories that work to teach us something.

Chord progressions born out of moments of sadness and solitude transform into the islands that sit blue along the horizon. The Salish Sea curves along her homelands, and when the singer is close to this water she is reminded of her grandmother, how she looked out at these same islands, and she’s held by spirit and memory.&nbsp;

The Land, The Water, The Sky rises and falls, in darkness and in light, but even in its most melancholy moments it is never despairing. That is the beauty of returning home. When you stand on ancestral lands it is impossible to be alone. You feel the arms and hands that hold you up, unwilling to let you fall into sorrow or abandonment. In her songs Katherine Paul has channeled that feeling of being held. In every note she has written a love letter to indigenous strength and healing.&nbsp;

There is a joy present here, a fierce blissfulness that comes with walking the trails along the river, feeling the sand and the stones beneath her feet. It is the pride and the certainty that comes with knowing her ancestors walked along the same land, dipped their hands into the water, and ran their fingertips along the same bark of cedar trees.&nbsp;

This is a story of hope, as it details the joy of returning. Katherine Paul’s journey home wasn’t made alone, and the songs are crowded with loved ones and relatives, like a really good party. And as the songs walk us through the land it is important we hover over the images and the beauty, the moments that mark this album as site specific. The power of this land is woven throughout, telling the story of narrow waterways, brush strokes, salmon stinta, and above all healing.

The Land. The Water, The Sky

Music GB