The year 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of NADJIWAN, the musical project and alter ego of Marc Meriläinen. During that time, the Toronto-based singer/songwriter, guitarist and producer has amassed an impressive body of work steeped in his heritage as a member of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation Cape Croker, along with his love of alternative rock in its various forms.

The Mission marks that milestone perfectly with another impressive collection of traditional-meets-alternative rock songs, with lyrics that reflect on the joys and sorrows of Meriläinen’s upbringing, from the lasting trauma of his mother’s experiences within the residential school system to the frequent communal celebrations that forged his love of music.

The Great Sea is a love letter to northern Ontario’s awe-inspiring landscape and its unique culture. Meriläinen offered a taste of it with his 2022 single “Land Of Skoden” (also included on The Great Sea), which set the stage for a full-on recording trip last summer. Utilizing his usual band—guitarist Jean-Paul De Roover, bassist Adam Gomori and drummer Alex Mine—along with a mobile recording studio, they set up at the Chippewa Park Pavilion near Fort William First Nation, with a local company, Apple Wagon Films, also on hand to document the entire recording process. Other parts were later overdubbed in Toronto, with notable contributions from members of Sultans Of String.