Tia Wood, Cree and Salish singer-songwriter from Saddle Lake Cree Nation, Alberta, released her second EP, Stimulated, on Feb. 6.
Music has never been far from Wood. Her father, Earl Wood, is a founder of Northern Cree, a Grammy-nominated and Juno award-winning drum group, and her sister is Juno award-winning singer Fawn Wood.
Indigenous peoples are highly underrepresented within the music industry but with over 50,000 monthy listeners on Spotify, Wood is making ground-breaking achievements as an upcoming artist in the Canadian music industry.
Blending sultry R&B with raw acoustic sounds, Stimulated reveals an intimate piece of Wood’s mind. This album is an admirable body of work that successfully touches the heart with radiant lyricism and stunning instrumentals.
Stimulated showcases three songs: “Stimulated,” “Sage My Soul” and “Never Come Down.” This release follows her debut EP, Pretty Red Bird, which received a 2025 Juno nomination, giving her the traction to perform with Canadian musician Shawn Mendes last October.
“Stimulated,” the title track, begins the EP with a soulful desire and pleasure. Unlike the other songs on the EP, this song illuminates a confident happiness, almost like a rebirth before the fall in the next two tracks.
Wood speaks to an unknown entity as she sings “when I’m in your presence/I feel new/I feel whole,” which flows into “I forgot what it feels like/to be/stimulated.” You feel her happiness but you feel her pleasure too. A forgotten feeling has resurfaced in Wood and she’s not afraid to express how good it feels. Women’s bodies have systemically been controlled, surveilled and silenced. Despite Wood forgetting the feeling, she unapologetically expresses her joy and sensuality
The second track, “Sage My Soul,” continues the soulful sound with a twinge of country. The constant echo of a crunchy guitar brings a country feeling to this otherwise lyrically soulful tune. The element of sage can be traced back to her Cree roots. Wood draws on the Cree practice of smudging that encourages restoration rather than punishment.
Wood sings “sage my soul/burn it to the bottom ‘cause I’m missing every part of you,” almost as if she’s asking to be cleansed from whatever entity she’s missing. This track also strips down what it means to be human through lines like “stripping down my layers/take me as I am/despite my bad behavior.” Wood highlights how the longing for human connection persists throughout our mistakes.
Arguably, the strongest track on the EP, “Never Come Down” is a tear-jerking, incredibly intimate, acoustic track that explores the emotional toll of her career. Within the fast-paced environment of the music industry, Wood reflects on leaving people behind by asking: “I know you’re waiting for me, there on the ground/will you still be there, if I never come down?” Her fear is apparent as she sings “kinda terrifying/Mother Nature, spare me.” This track reveals a part of Wood many would be afraid to reveal, continuing the vibrant confidence Stimulated exhales.
Stimulated is a genre-bending expression of love, connection and fear, which places Wood as one of Canada’s most exciting upcoming artists. Her ability to be vulnerable and completely open up through lyrical mastery makes her a beautifully fresh voice within the music industry.
If you are looking for something to vibe to, Wood has everything from R&B and soul to acoustic country to upbeat pop. Her voice and lyrics will break through your heart with a silk touch entirely unique to her.
Wood has received her second Juno nomination in 2026 for Contemporary Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year. Winners will be announced on March 29.