Blab Music
Zoon Releases Happy Thought School Album Reflecting Indigenous Experiences and Childhood Radio Days
On June 12 2026, Daniel Monkman—known onstage as Zoon—released his fourth studio effort, Happy Thought School, through Toronto‑based independent label Paper Bag Records. The new record follows his 2020 debut Bleached Wavves and 2023’s Bekka Ma’iingan, and marks a pivot toward a more conversational sound that weaves personal memories with Indigenous storytelling.
Monkman grew up in Selkirk, Manitoba, where he attended East Selkirk’s eponymous school. As a child, he relied on a Scholastic Book Club AM‑FM radio pen to tap into stations that played artists like Feist, Avril Lavigne and Broken Social Scene. He recalled, “The only way I could really get a signal was to wander to the very, very back, the far edge of the school, climbing trees to get to higher ground.” That makeshift antenna was a lifeline that helped him cope with isolation in a school environment where his siblings were twins but he felt alone.
The title track opens with chamber‑pop textures and the distant call of birds before inserting sampled interviews of Monkman’s mother and his aunt Dorothy. The recordings capture Dorothy’s experience of racism in Manitoba’s school system, where a principal told her she was not welcome and she had to remain on the bus. The narrative thread stitches together Monkman’s childhood radio listening, his family’s educational struggles, and the broader history of Indigenous marginalization.
Musically, Happy Thought School blends the dreamy textures of shoegaze with the rhythmic pulse of Indigenous song—a hybrid Monkman calls “moccasin‑gaze.” The album also shows the influence of pop sensibilities that emerged from his first encounters with cheap headphones and low‑frequency signals. Monkman collaborated with Chris Chu of Pop Etc., and drew on earlier partnerships with Broken Social Scene, Laraaji and Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, who performed an improvisational set with his wife, multimedia artist Leah Singer, at the Art City Ball in May.
Tracks such as “You Can’t See Me (This Low)” serve as transmissions between past and future selves, reminding listeners that personal trajectories are shaped by history and expectation. Monkman emphasized the importance of passing knowledge, noting, “If you look up the life expectancy of Indigenous people, it isn’t that long. For them to pass down this knowledge is very meaningful, and I wanted to share that in an album.”
The album sits within a broader trajectory of Indigenous Canadian music. Monkman’s 2020 debut Bleached Wavves was shortlisted for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize, and his 2023 release Bekka Ma’iingan was longlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize and earned a Juno Award nomination for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year in 2024. Paper Bag Records, founded in 2002, has released the album and continues to support artists who blend cultural heritage with contemporary genres.
Happy Thought School is now available on all major streaming platforms and in physical formats through Paper Bag Records. No touring or festival appearances have been announced to promote the release. The album adds a new chapter to Monkman’s discography, offering listeners a blend of personal narrative, cultural reflection, and sonic experimentation.
Monkman grew up in Selkirk, Manitoba, where he attended East Selkirk’s eponymous school. As a child, he relied on a Scholastic Book Club AM‑FM radio pen to tap into stations that played artists like Feist, Avril Lavigne and Broken Social Scene. He recalled, “The only way I could really get a signal was to wander to the very, very back, the far edge of the school, climbing trees to get to higher ground.” That makeshift antenna was a lifeline that helped him cope with isolation in a school environment where his siblings were twins but he felt alone.
The title track opens with chamber‑pop textures and the distant call of birds before inserting sampled interviews of Monkman’s mother and his aunt Dorothy. The recordings capture Dorothy’s experience of racism in Manitoba’s school system, where a principal told her she was not welcome and she had to remain on the bus. The narrative thread stitches together Monkman’s childhood radio listening, his family’s educational struggles, and the broader history of Indigenous marginalization.
Musically, Happy Thought School blends the dreamy textures of shoegaze with the rhythmic pulse of Indigenous song—a hybrid Monkman calls “moccasin‑gaze.” The album also shows the influence of pop sensibilities that emerged from his first encounters with cheap headphones and low‑frequency signals. Monkman collaborated with Chris Chu of Pop Etc., and drew on earlier partnerships with Broken Social Scene, Laraaji and Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, who performed an improvisational set with his wife, multimedia artist Leah Singer, at the Art City Ball in May.
Tracks such as “You Can’t See Me (This Low)” serve as transmissions between past and future selves, reminding listeners that personal trajectories are shaped by history and expectation. Monkman emphasized the importance of passing knowledge, noting, “If you look up the life expectancy of Indigenous people, it isn’t that long. For them to pass down this knowledge is very meaningful, and I wanted to share that in an album.”
The album sits within a broader trajectory of Indigenous Canadian music. Monkman’s 2020 debut Bleached Wavves was shortlisted for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize, and his 2023 release Bekka Ma’iingan was longlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize and earned a Juno Award nomination for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year in 2024. Paper Bag Records, founded in 2002, has released the album and continues to support artists who blend cultural heritage with contemporary genres.
Happy Thought School is now available on all major streaming platforms and in physical formats through Paper Bag Records. No touring or festival appearances have been announced to promote the release. The album adds a new chapter to Monkman’s discography, offering listeners a blend of personal narrative, cultural reflection, and sonic experimentation.
