With a name that demands attention, Status/Non-Status is a band that boldly explores Indigenous identity, politics, and ancestry. Their music blends folk rock, psychedelia, post-rock, and grunge into powerful soundscapes that resonate with emotional depth and cultural significance.

Adam Sturgeon—lead singer and Anishinaabe community worker—is the driving force behind Status/Non-Status. Defined as “non-status” by the Canadian government, Sturgeon’s identity is rooted in the complex history of his family. His grandfather enfranchised to join the Armed Forces and become a Canadian citizen, creating a legacy that Sturgeon confronts in his music and work. His artistic journey is deeply intertwined with raising awareness about the impact of colonization while striving to reconnect with his Anishinaabe/Potawatomi roots and community. Committed to analyzing and questioning colonial systems of oppression, his work reflects the struggles of his people and offers a path toward healing.

Fluid in structure and immense in emotional scope, Status/Non-Status oscillate between pummeling percussion and sparkling gentleness, thrashing distortion and acoustic levity—with the dynamics of a creation story in which opposing forces compete and collide in search of equilibrium. Driving optimism gives way to a dissonant thud; forceful chants become serene unison; the sparse and sardonic shift into the foreboding and ruthless self-examination Sturgeon and his longtime collaborators are known for—sonically and thematically. Status/Non-Status depict the unfolding of a cultural big bang, in which eruptions of truth activate a succession of healthy confrontations. Sturgeon’s presence is as fierce as it is humorous, using his platform to challenge colonial legacies and spark conversations about Indigenous identity in the modern world. His witty yet candid commentary amplifies the urgency of change, making the band’s performances both confrontational and cathartic.

Sturgeon’s work—including the celebrated Polaris Prize Long Listed album Warrior Down (2019) and the SOCAN Songwriting Prize–nominated 1,2,3,4,500 Years EP (2020)—tackles themes of nationhood, trauma, and familial memory. His collaboration with Daniel Monkman (Zoon) in Ombiigizi led to the 2022 Polaris Prize Shortlist, a Juno nomination for Alternative Album of the Year, and helped soften the blow of the intense personal exploration in Sturgeon’s own music. His second album with Status/Non-Status, Surely Travel, builds on these themes of identity, Indigeneity, and resilience, embracing the small victories of healing and self-discovery.

Having shared stages with acts like Broken Social Scene, Julie Doiron, Metz, Constantines, Deerhoof, July Talk, Pup, and many others, Status/Non-Status has performed at notable festivals across North America, including SXSW, Sled Island, Hillside, Dawson City Music Festival, Folk on the Rocks and more. Their music enjoys regular airplay on CBC, KEXP, and Sirius XM, with Sturgeon himself making multiple appearances on CBC q with Tom Power.

With a string of glowing reviews and chart appearances, Sturgeon continues to use his music as a vehicle for both personal expression and societal change.