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STEVE VON TILL AND FIREKEEPER NOISE COLLECTIVE UNITE FOR “iiyiikǎakimǎan”
Youths, Von Till
NEUROSIS member Steve Von Till has released a collaborative work with students from Browning Public Schools’ Heavy Music Symposium under the name Firekeeper Noise Collective. Titled “iiyiikǎakimǎan,” the track arrives on World Suicide Prevention Day, with the project centered on the idea of turning music-making into a space for belonging, creativity, and connection for young people.
The project, which began in May 2026, gave students the opportunity to create music alongside Von Till using professional equipment. Their contributions went beyond performing, encompassing everything from guitar drones and lyrics to Blackfoot words and phrases, as well as field recordings of wind and water.
The resulting “iiyiikǎakimǎan” takes its name from a phrase meaning “to try hard, to persevere.” The track incorporates wind and water recordings captured by the students throughout their spring semester, while the guitar drones and spoken-word sections were recorded at Buffalo Hide Academy and Red Eagle Campground in May. Nick Rink performed the hand drum.
Steve Von Till assembled and mixed the recordings, while Scott Evans handled mastering at Antisleep Audio. The result brings the students’ creative contributions together with a professional recording process, turning the project into a collective production.
Firekeeper Alliance, which stands behind the project, views music not as a replacement for traditional mental health work but as a complementary way of creating spaces where young people can feel a sense of belonging. Through its Heavy Music Symposium program, the organization has incorporated recording, filmmaking, live production, journalism, visual arts, and collaborations with professional musicians into the educational process alongside music-making.
The approach is rooted in the idea that heavy music can provide young people with a space for expression and community. Rather than reducing suicide prevention solely to moments of crisis or clinical support, Firekeeper Alliance also sees strengthening environments where young people can build meaningful relationships, make creative decisions, and see themselves as part of a community as part of that work.
“iiyiikǎakimǎan” is also the first example of what Firekeeper Alliance hopes will become an ongoing series of international collaborations between its Heavy Music Symposium and artists from around the world. Released through Firekeeper Alliance Records, the track is available on Bandcamp on a name-your-own-price basis, with proceeds going toward purchasing new equipment for the students’ after-school club.
An original video for the track, created by student @deaddoglake, has also been released through Firekeeper’s YouTube channel. In this sense, “iiyiikǎakimǎan” represents more than a one-off recording: it is the first outcome of a broader creative project in which students have taken a direct role in multiple stages of the production process.