Just Us Folk

“I believe in quantum healing,” said Six Nations singer-songwriter Lacey Hill. “When we’re all vibrating, the potential is there to have miracles happen. I believe in miracles and I’ve seen them. It gives you more of an awareness, and we have more potential to create whatever we want.” 

At the heart of this belief is the frequency of 528 hertz. It’s called “the love frequency” and is said to connect our heart, our spiritual nature and divine harmony. The number 528 is also the sub-title of Lacey’s three volumes of songs, the latest of which is The Moon. 

“My goal in life is to be who I am, be loving, have a good heart, a good mind, and sing these songs that are experiences from my life,” she said. 

Music has always been a part of Lacey’s life, and it included all types of music. 

“I remember being seven years old and getting my first CD, The Phantom Of The Opera soundtrack. So I was singing opera, all the parts, at seven years old on the rez! How crazy is that? Who would have thought? I just loved it.” 

But it took a number of years before Lacey realized music was where her future lay. 

“It took me a lot of lessons to go through but when you have that sense of belonging and that purpose, man. get out of the way!” she said. “Here I come. I’m not stopping. I ain’t goin’ back.” 

With her focus on what she truly should be doing with her life, Lacey is also aware of her responsibility to her community so that there are more like her finding their purpose in life. 

“I’m going to help others reach that too,” she said. “It’s taking responsibility for our gifts and the bundles the Creator has given us. I’m so blessed to be able to share that, vocalizing that and re-focusing people, planting seeds or encouraging them to continue on the path that they’re on. It’s such a great time right now, coming out of the pandemic, and being together again is so much better than Zoom!” 

The Moon: 528 Volume III is a more fully-produced album than Lacey’s previous releases. 

“I hear full productions in all my songs but I tend to keep them acoustic,” she said. “I’m an independent Indigenous woman, and sometimes organizing everything isn’t good for my mental health. So it’s easy for me just to come and do solo things because I can manage myself. I don’t have to manage a whole band.” 

Lacey is very thankful for the musicians who have supported her, whether playing on her albums or backing her at featured gigs like her album release concert last fall at the El Mocambo in Toronto. She’s also thankful to those who have taken her music into their lives. 

“It’s been quite a journey because I meet these people, and they want to be there and support me, so I’m truly blessed with people who want to show up for me, that listen to my music, that really support and encourage me. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be talking to you, I wouldn’t have a showcase here at the FMO conference, and I wouldn’t be performing.” 

As so many other independent artists know, being a self-managed musician is a lot of work and in many ways the duties are polar opposites. 

“It’s two different brains,” said Lacey. “Administrative work and creative work.” 

There have been occasions for her where the administrative side has had to intervene in a creative setting. 

“I’ve been in situations where I’ve had to say, ‘Hey, that’s another contract,” she said. “You can’t ask for me to sing longer. I’ll help you out but we’ll talk later.’ It’s learning how to cope with those things under stress and have a good mind under stress too. It’s about practicing those good ways so when tests come to you, and you’re under that stress, you’re able to go to what you know because you practice it every day.” 

The work Lacey has put into her career is showing up in more ways than just her music. In January and February, she’s part of the theatrical production of "Little Red Warrior And His Lawyer" by Governor General’s Award-winning Indigenous playwright Kevin Loring at Theatre Calgary and then at Ottawa’s Babs Asper Theatre in May. In between, Lacey is headed to Australia to take part in the Sidney Pride and Arts Residency program with Moogalin Performing Arts. 

“I’ll continue to sing and continue in my path because I think I have something to say, good words,” she said. People have told me they really enjoy my music so I guess I’ll keep going. It’s helping other people, and I love that healing part. We talk a lot about generational trauma. That’s an acknowledgement and awareness but it’s also the full conversation on how we can move forward together with a good heart and good mind and have resolution where we’re vibrating at a healing frequency, and we start creating generational healing.” 

For more on Lacey Hill and The Moon: 528 Volume III, go to laceyhillmusic.com.