Based in Toronto Semiah is a multi-media artist who hails from Six Nations of the Grand River. She is a next generation Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) Alt Pop artist-producer and upcoming film director. Semiah is a self-taught animator, editor, and Director. Semiah has been involved in film from a young age capturing archival footage touring with her Mother, Santee Smith, capturing learning from Indigenous People from around the world. It is this early experience where Semiah discovered her artistic eye. As an emerging Director, she has released her first official music video, “Withdrawals” coupled with her alt pop love-gone-wrong song co-produced with Montreal collaborator Teleh0rn. The Music Video Production features glittering pink Indigenous Charlie’s Angels with a warrior punk anime edge tracking down their target in the desolate mountains of Alberta, Canada. Semiah wore many hats in this production as Semiah produced, directed, choreographed, edited and created wardrobe for the video. Considering this Semiah’s debut film project it has attracted a wide audience with just under 20,000 streams on youtube. Upcoming 2025 LVR GRL EP will lay bare all her heart’s secrets.
As a deluge of artists seek to be the next viral sensation, Semiah is a breath of fresh mountain air. She’s as at home on stage – where she’s spent 20 of her 26 years – as she is chopping firewood or on an urban dancefloor in bejeweled glam. Regularly showered with encores & standing ovations for her live performances, Semiah moves effortlessly from intimate club shows to large soft seater theatres; designing shows with her acoustic duo or trio; with choreographed dancers and backing tracks, or full band with visuals. Like a flirty dervish story-teller who can tear your heart out with side eye giggle, Semiah has the uncanny ability to etch herself into the souls of swooning concert goers. But don’t let the playful cowgrrl edge fool you, she has more spiritual depth than most twice her age.
Semiah’s family motto “don’t half-ass it” has clearly set a high bar: her mom Santee Smith is a 2023 Order of Canada recipient for her work as an award-winning director/dancer appearing on major network TV and in film; her Dad George Leach is 2014 Aboriginal Music Juno award-winner and her Uncle Jay Silverheels was the renowned actor who played Tonto, the companion of the Lone Ranger in the American Western television series The Lone Ranger (obviously roles were biased and limited at that time) and acted in over a dozen major American films alongside greats such as Humprey Bogart and James Stewart.
