Friendship Commanders are no strangers to tackling painful topics. The heavy-rock duo —comprised of singer/guitarist Buick Audra and drummer-bassist Jerry Roe — has released songs about abuse, addiction and trauma, and their newest offering is a heart-wrenching tribute to Stonechild Chiefstick. Chiefstick, a Chippewa Cree man who was part of the Suquamish Tribal community in Washington state, was shot and killed by a police officer in July 2019.
Friendship Commanders released “Stonechild” as part of a two-track single on Indigenous People’s Day, and the music video —shot partly at Exit/In — hit the web on Monday via Brooklyn Vegan. Audra’s ethereal vocals offer a haunting eulogy for Chiefstick, describing the scene of his death at a fireworks show on July 3: “A park by water, children everywhere / A son and father is no longer there.” Above, check out the piece, which intersperses performance clips with footage of a man carrying a light into the wilderness.
The track also features spoken-word commentary in the Lushootseed language from Cassy Fowler, a member of the Suquamish community who participated on behalf of Chiefstick’s family. With a handful of questions, Fowler delivers an indictment of the system under which people of color are disproportionately killed by police.
“The song was written to acknowledge a life, question a death, and stand in solidarity with a community that has lost someone,” writes Buick Audra in a statement. “We, alongside the people who knew him, demand justice for Stonechild. With this song, I am also asking questions to all of us about how we’re actually moving through this world, injustice all around us, systemic racism normalized and ignored. Are we helping, or are we hurting?”
You can purchase “Stonechild” backed with “Your Reign is Over” on Bandcamp or give it a listen on any streaming platform via this handy link.
