Songwriters can find inspiration at any place at any time. For Indigenous folk rock Mike Bern, a yard sale discovery was the seed which fueled his latest and possibly greatest effort in "We Are The Stars," a beautiful ballad which is sure to join previous singles "Reverberation" and "New World" which appeared on the Indigenous Music Countdown charts.

Bern, a native of Tobique First Nation, New Brunswick (Wolasoqey (maliseet)), says he found a poem in an old book he discovered at a yard sale entitled Algonquin Legends. "In the book it has myths and folklore of the Wabanaki People," he says. "In the 1800s, all these songs and stories were collected. The poem 'We Are The Stars' stood out to me, and I loved it so much I wanted to incorporate my style of music."

On his new single “Echoes,” folk rocker Mike Bern guides you, like a soaring bird, over a stretching and breathtaking landscape where the sounds build in intensity and then become more vivid and enveloping.

In the valley
Where the ancient sounds reside
There’s a rhythm that echoes
Deep inside
From the past
They call out to me…
I feel so free

Bern is coming off yet another Top 10 on the Indigenous Music Countdown for his single “New World.” On this latest “Echoes,” Bern enlists the help of the drum group Muskrat Singers to create a richly textured and multi-layered soundscape meant to recreate the pounding of ash (the process of making ash baskets). The song shimmers, chants, builds and dissolves around the joyful rhythm of the ancient practice.

When a child and a parent lose each other, the lines of communication are severed tragically and forever. Or are they? Indigenous folk-rocker Mike Bern volunteers his services as a spiritual middleman on his latest single, “New World,” an imagined declaration of anguish and devotion from a mother who was taken too soon. Check it out on YouTube here:

 Left my daughter behind
Now I’m drowning the sky
There’s one thing I do know
I got no place to go
Carry the love into our lives
Carry her heart
Greet her with my eyes closed
I can’t hold you no more
I love you more than you know
Kind words from above

New Brunswick-based Indigenous singer/songwriter Mike Bern rides a thunderous wave of chart-topping hits with his latest groovy song about the healing journey of the sweat lodge, “Reverberation”.

Check it out on YouTube here:

Already transcending artistic barriers with acclaimed international success and four singles charting on the Indigenous Music Countdown (including his most recent ‘no words for goodbye’ hitting #1), Mike Bern latest hit transports listeners on a musical journey filled with catchy synths, melodic folk riffs, and infectious percussion.

Among the many qualities that have garnered streams worldwide, Bern's ability to connect his culture to his art is the reason he has so many people talking. “The drum and chanting to bring the spirits into the ceremony,” explains Bern. “The drum is the heartbeat of mother earth & creation of all living things.”

Multi-award-nominated Indigenous singer/songwriter Mike Bern brings us his rooted indigenous folk rock sounds with his new album 'Ancestors' released on March 14.

Listen to “no words for goodbyes” on YouTube here:

Mike creates a sound that uniquely blends husky rock-style vocals and traditional folk acoustic melodies with hints of drawling Southern Gospel. He takes his inspiration from musicians like Frankie Miller, Chris Otepka, and Ben Schneider, which is evident in his music's pure and heartfelt sound and the stories in his lyrics. Whether it's the raw emotion from the words he uses or the way he harmonizes with the music, Mike's music captures a sense of pain and vulnerability that is both authentic and moving.

Through good times and bad, hot and cold, dazzling and dim, there is one constant on this giant rock we call earth - the sun. In Mike Bern’s newest single, “Grateful Sun,” the award-winning artist pays homage to that which always ignites. Check it out on YouTube here:

The Tobique First Nation, New Brunswick-based singer/songwriter decided to do something a little different with this one.

“The world can be a dark place at times,” Bern explained. “I wanted to write a song that gave thanks to life itself.”

Underneath ethereal instrumentals with an indie twist, Bern serenades the sun from our universal human perspective, encapsulating our relationship with life’s shining necessity. Bern touches on the hardships we all face, and how the sun acts as a foil to the darkness, infinitely illuminating for brighter days.

Feeling the presence of a lost loved one and the inexpressible joy of reminiscing good times is the subject of award-winning Indigenous singer/songwriter Mike Bern’s latest heartwarming single, “Shrine of Shirl”:

Drawing on his own experience with loss, Mike Bern takes listeners on an emotional journey using his signature sonic palette of folk-rock harmonies with a sprinkle of southern gospel. “Shrine of Shirl” is a testament to Bern’s ability to fuse his distinct musical style while harnessing the influence of artists such as Ben Schneider and Frankie Miller.

While “Shrine of Shirl” is based on a personal experience and inspired by his late uncle’s ashes which hang in his truck by the rearview mirror, the song is about all the souls that are no longer here. “He always wanted to listen to music while he was here,” Bern shares. “Now, when his favourite song comes on, I know he’s with me.”

Multi-award-nominated New Brunswick-based Indigenous singer/songwriter Mike Bern pays tribute to those who came before him with the melancholy new single, “Ancestors”.

Listen to “Ancestors” here on Spotify: open.spotify.com/track/72SFipftPSHRrVXVLppGnj?si=e9d99719acc348d7&nd=1

Hailing from Tobique First Nation, “Ancestors” is a song inspired by a visit Bern made to an Angel Reader — a person who can communicate and receive an angel’s words and visions.

Bern visited while grieving a family passing, and a message was received; it was a call to action to use the power of song to honour those who came before. “Ancestors” is Mike Bern’s dedication to the sacrifices of generations of a family whose shoulders he rests upon.

An ethereal soundscape with lush guitars, anthemic vocals, and catchy synth harmonies, “Ancestors” tells this story of pride while a range of musical influences is complemented by bold lyrics that draw on the strength of Bern’s forbears and the connection to his ancestry.

Tobique First Nation, NB-based, award-winning and 2018 Olympic Games-featured Indigenous folk rock artist Mike Bern has released his debut solo EP Waponahkew.

Meaning ‘Person of the Dawn,’ Waponahkew and its title track pay stunning homage and gratitude to Bern’s Waponahki Ancestors, while “First Mother draws on the book “The Red Man” for inspiration; the release’s single “Apatapasiq” honours the suffering and stories of residential school survivors — including those in his own family.

Watch and listen to: Waponahkew here: