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.”
The book’s material, gathered by Philadelphia-based journalist and Charles G. Leland (who collected the stories and history directly from Indigenous narrators and died in 1903) contains legends, folklore and myths of the Wabanaki. The poem and the song “We Are The Stars” speaks to the cycle of life and how we are all part of that journey through nature.
“We all come from the stars,” Bern says regarding the single “We Are The Stars.” “When you pass on to the other side, we have to go through a fire, as we do the same when we are born. When we look up at the stars, we see our past and future, our loved ones that passed and future generations that still haven’t been born.”
“We Are The Stars” is a timeless campfire-esque, sing-along ballad that features Bern’s timeless timbre leading the way. Bringing to mind the work of established singer-songwriters like William Prince and Donovan Woods to legends such as John Hiatt and Bruce Cockburn. Its deliberate tempo gives it a depth and reflective quality that makes you look at life’s bigger picture and looking up to the heavens to see those who came before and have yet to come.
“We Are The Stars” is the latest single from Bern, who has crafted a credible, consistently strong discography through singles and albums. Learning to play guitar growing up thanks to his late uncle resulted in Bern teaching him acoustic guitar three decades ago. With his music serving as a strong, deep link to his ancestors, Bern overcame personal demons when a counselor who assisted him in rehab spotted his gift for songwriting. The counselor felt his songwriting was incredibly fluid, as if he was singing the words he wrote. That turning point set his sights on his vocation: music.
Bern has released excellent albums including Waponahkew in 2020 and 2023’s Ancestors. Meanwhile, singles such as “New World,” “Reverberation,” and “Echoes” (which featured the drum group Muskrat Singers) have all been widely lauded while also having two number one hits on the Indigenous Music Countdown. He has also performed throughout Canada, having played the Indigenomics Power Play Gala in Toronto in 2023 and as part of 2023’s MNB (Music New Brunswick) Week.
Now with another fantastic single in “We Are The Stars,” Mike Bern’s career continues to shine brighter with each memorable release.