Incorporating traditional Ojibway music and culture with modern influences, roots/rock musician Mitchell Makoons has received radio play across Canada, United States and on SiriusXM with three of his singles reaching top 10 on the Indigenous Music Countdown.

Formerly known as Mitchell Mozdzen, he released five EPs under his legal name accompanied by their own Western Canadian tour. In early 2021, Makoons decided to change his stage name to something that nodded to his Ojibway heritage. Makoons is an Anishinaabemowin word that means “Little Bear or Bear Cub.” Since Mitchell Mozdzen‘s spirit name is “Standing Strong Black Bear” and he is only 5’5, this name is perfectly fitting.

Makoons suffered over two dozen concussions throughout his adolescent years as a result of sports. By the age of 18, he was battling alcoholism as a means of coping with the concussions’ impact on his mental/physical health. During the pandemic, Makoons realized that he needed to make a positive change and sought help from his doctor. Over the course of a couple years, he saw tremendous improvements. In 2021, his head injury was finally healed enough to be cleared for sports for the first time in a decade.

“I’m in a new chapter of my life now,” Makoons says. “I’m no longer scared of my own fatality, every second of the day. I focus on fostering great relationships with people and writing music that the world can connect with. I am a changing man.”

• What can you share with readers about your new project?

Changing Man is a single off of my upcoming album “Lady Boots” which will be coming out on April 12th. Lady Boots is a project that rides the line between Neo-Traditional and Modern Country music. Some of the songs have all tracks recorded live in a studio setting (like Changing Man) while others have programmed drums, samples and synthesizers. It’s been a fun exploration of the genre of Country music. It has made my vision for the sound I want to achieve “in the future” a little clearer.     

• How does this release compare with your other projects you had in the past?

In the past, I released a lot of music under my legal name “Mitchell Mozdzen”. In this project I explored a lot of different genres from Pop to Funk to Blues. Since rebranding to Mitchell Makoons, I like to focus on genres that fall under the Roots category such as Bluegrass, Country and Americana. I’ve also introduced a lot of traditional fiddle tunes to my current live show. Growing up in a Métis family, I’ve been playing these songs since I first picked up a guitar at 7 years old. This is a side of my musicality that I’ve been excited to share for a long time.    

• What about this single makes you most proud?

The thing I am most proud of in this single is the vulnerability of it. Coincidentally that is the thing I am the most scared of as well. I have made a lot of positive changes in my life in the past 5 years. This single outlines a lot of the shortcomings I had in my past. Some things are just downright embarrassing to think about now. This single puts forth the notion that I’m ready to change for the better and would like to take accountability for the things I’ve done in the past. 

• Was there a specific goal you were trying to accomplish with this release?

With this release I was trying to inspire a message of hope. There’s a quote from John Mulaney that I absolutely love, “Things will get better, they always do. And then things will get worse, they always do.” There was a time where I was suffering from the effects of multiple concussions, and it was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was letting the events in my life play out, without taking any positive action myself. This is a mindset that I hope to never have again. At that time, things were bad, but they got better, they always do.  

• What inspires you to create music? What motivates you to keep going?

Most of the music that I write is just for me. Even if I didn’t have a career in music, I would still write it. Sometimes stories are told better through a song. I try to focus on topics that are a little more than surface level. Things that don’t usually get written about in a way that is as true to myself as possible. The craft of songwriting is a fun challenge to me. There will always be a better lyric or a better chord change to add. I don’t mind rewriting a song several times before I find the best possible version. 

I really appreciate the interest people have shown in the Mitchell Makoons project so far. That’s what keeps me releasing music. That being said, if people didn’t want to hear what I had to say anymore that would be okay too. Being a musician is a really great job. However, there are other great jobs out there as well. I’m not the type of person where being a musician is my entire life. I enjoy fishing, mechanics, and spending time with my family. As long as people want to keep hearing what I have to say, I’ll keep putting out new music.  

• If you could collaborate with anyone – dead or alive, famous or unknown – who would it be and why? If it’s an indie/DIY artist, please include a link so readers can check them out.

One person I would love to collaborate with is Zach Top. I was introduced to Zach Top’s music through the app TikTok. Zach is a fantastic songwriter and has a fantastic grasp on the Neo-Traditional Country sound. It’s very inspiring to see someone my age pull off that sound so well. We both grew up playing traditional bluegrass/fiddle tunes. I’d be very curious to see what we would come up with if we sat down in a room together and wrote something.   

• What was the last song you listened to? Favorite all-time bands/artists?

The last song I listened to is actually a Zach Top song – Sounds Like The Radio. In this song Zach Top compares his life to the content of Alan Jackson songs released in 1994. 

Coincidentally Alan Jackson is truly one of my all-time favorite artists. I have Alan Jackson’s essential and greatest hits albums on repeat constantly. My mama tells me stories of when she was pregnant with me, she would put headphones on her belly and play a variety of music. The one artist that I would always dance the most to, even before I was born, was Alan Jackson. My first musical memory was sitting in the back of our old pontiac when I was 4 years old and hearing Alan Jackson’s version of Mercury Blues on one of my Dad’s old burned CDs, wondering what song it was. I quickly proclaimed it was my new favorite. I still love that song to this day.       

• Where is the best place to find you and stay connected?

The best place to find me is over on instagram. There you’ll get all my musical updates plus a little look into my life as well. I often post updates about fishing and hunting trips on my stories, as well as any beadwork that I’m proud of and feel like sharing.  

• I really appreciate your time. Is there anything you’d like to share before we sign off?

If folks are interested in hearing more music, I would encourage them to Pre-Save the Lady Boots album here. https://show.co/fA76CTP

Thank you so much for your time.