Photo Credit: Lokotah Sanborn
Mali Obomsawin
Mali Obomsawin (Abenaki Nation, Odanak) is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer known for her solo work and her rock band Deerlady. She is based in New York City and Odanak, Quebec.
Mali’s albums Sweet Tooth (2022) and Greatest Hits (released as ‘Deerlady’ in 2024) have garnered critical acclaim from Stereogum, KEXP, NPR, and The Guardian. Her projects have toured to Big Ears and Montreal Jazz Festivals, and earned her a name across experimental, free-jazz and rock scenes. Mali’s music has been featured in the Hulu FX series Reservation Dogs (2023) and is also part of an unsanctioned exhibition at the MET titled: "ENCODED: Change the Story, Change the Future." Encoded features 17 Native artists and won two 2025 Webby Awards.
Mali scored the film “Sugarcane” (2025), which was nominated for the Academy Awards’ Best Documentary Feature. Her work was nominated for Best Original Score by the International Documentary Association and Cinema Eye Honors.
Appears on:
OOYH 017: Mali Obomsawin - Sweet Tooth
OOYH 051: Mali Obomsawin - Automatic