Foreshadow and elair—the stage names of Shadow Devereaux and Erik Langan, respectively—began collaborating in the faraway world of 2016, when they found themselves performing on the same bills at Monk’s Bar. Since then, the duo has developed—steadily and continuously—a brand of Montana-repping hip-hop that blends summertime party anthems, whimsical stoner playfulness and an occasional dose of impassioned community advocacy; Devereaux is Salish and Blackfeet, and regularly uses his music to address his community. His 2020 track “Protect Your People,” a COVID safety PSA in hip-hop form, won the award for “Best Narrative in a Video” at the 2022 Native American Music Awards.
At the same time, both artists continue to hustle on their solo projects. Devereaux is focused on wrapping up a debut solo LP, and Langan regularly drops tracks that deftly blur his penchant for both rapping and singing.
Lest they have too much free time on their hands, Devereaux and Langan also operate Nu Wav Studio in Missoula together, providing an accessible and friendly space for young musicians and artists to experiment and create.
Missoula gets a taste of their exuberant music and hometown love this Friday, for free (sorry, waffle fries not included), at an all-ages show as part of the Top Hat’s new Groove Concert Series.
And they’re bringing the whole crew: Foreshadow and elair will be joined by a full squad of their collaborators—and Nu Wav mainstays—like Yvng Vin, FRB Magic, Zak James, Farch and Beni Bomaye. Devereaux told The Pulp he has also invited a trio of young artists from the Flathead Reservation to join them as well: Dust2Dust, Lil Kimchi and Jobo. “To provide a free show and have such a stacked lineup is incredible,” he said.
Foreshadow x elair & Friends perform at The Top Hat Friday, October 20, at 10:15 PM. Free. All ages.
Ahead of the show, we’ve put together a tasting menu of some of our favorite tracks from Foreshadow and elair—some as a duo, and others from their individual projects. Enjoy!
Boasting an epic earworm-of-a-hook and a sweet, guitar-driven sample to match, the feel-good “Summer Trees” evokes the long history of laid-back stoner hip-hop, but the combination of Foreshadow’s straight-faced flow and elair’s loose half-sung verse make it distinctly their own.
One of my favorite elair solo tracks, “Dreamed Up” combines nimbly rapped verses with a catchy, crooned chorus, bringing to mind superstar Drake. The track pulls off an impressive balancing act: sounding light-hearted while also making clear that elair is dead-set on making his dreams come true.
Nu Wav’s cypher series offers young artists a singular opportunity to showcase their style in a live performance setting. The inaugural installment features a smooth verse from Foreshadow, and some fiery bars from frequent collaborator Yvng Vin.
While Foreshadow and elair both have a tendency to crack a joke, this posse cut finds their whole crew at its silliest. Over a bouncing beat, we get blasts of bravado and a catchy refrain so gloriously unserious it makes Migos sound like James Joyce.
Featuring one of elair’s most energetic and up-tempo performances, “Clock out, clock in” joyfully emphasizes a simple message: When the work week is over, it’s time to let loose.
“Protect Your People” highlights Foreshadow’s advocacy for his Native CSKT community. Written in 2020, the track finds him championing safety precautions on the reservation in the wake of the COVID pandemic. “Protect Your People” won the award for “Best Narrative in a Video” at the 2022 Native American Music Awards.
Packed chock-full of pure feel-good vibes, “Suns out” might play best in the summertime, but you won’t regret blasting it any time of year. True to its name, “Suns Out” is light and breezy, and channels the warm soulfulness of artists like Anderson .Paak and BJ the Chicago Kid. Plus, elair’s straight-faced shout-out to Jimmy Buffett merits a tip of the hat.
