OPLIAM finds strength in storytelling

Healing can begin with a story.

Music has long been a way for Indigenous Peoples to share stories, preserve culture and express identity. For OPLIAM, it is also a way to explore resilience, mental wellness and the realities of contemporary Indigenous life.

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, and now based in Chicago, Illinois, USA, OPLIAM (Liam McDonald) has spent more than a decade creating music that refuses to fit neatly into one genre. Blending alternative rock, Native Americana and bedroom pop, he describes his sound as “Alter-Native” — a reflection of both his musical influences and his Indigenous identity. Over the years, his performances have taken him across Turtle Island, Hawaiʻi, Australia and Aotearoa (New Zealand), where he has connected with audiences through stories that cross cultural and geographic boundaries.

Rather than following trends, OPLIAM has built a career on authenticity. His music explores themes of identity, belonging, healing and perseverance while remaining rooted in Indigenous perspectives.

Those themes continue in his latest project, SEROTONIN SOLDIER. The first instalment of the double album, SEROTONIN SOLDIER, Pt. I, was released on June 12, 2026. The full album is scheduled for release this fall, coinciding with Indigenous Peoples Day on Oct. 12.

The project examines the relationship between mental wellness and resilience, exploring the emotional highs and lows that many people experience while encouraging honest conversations about healing. Through reflective lyrics and layered production, OPLIAM invites listeners to consider how identity, community and culture can become sources of strength during life’s challenges.

Storytelling, however, is not limited to music. A Mohawk descendant whose family is from Kahnawà:ke with connections to the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (Akwesasne), OPLIAM has also established himself as an author. In 2022, Penguin Random House published his middle-grade book, Indigenous America, which presents United States history through an Indigenous lens. The book received a starred review from School Library Journal, recognizing it as a valuable educational resource for young readers.

Whether writing songs or books, OPLIAM approaches each project with the same goal: creating space for Indigenous voices while encouraging a deeper understanding of history, identity and culture.

His work has earned recognition from publications and media outlets including USA Today, The Source, KEXP, WBEZ Chicago, Digital Music News and the Chicago Reader, which named him among its “Best of 2021.”

As Indigenous artists continue to shape today’s creative landscape, OPLIAM demonstrates that tradition and innovation are not opposing forces. By embracing both, he continues to tell stories that are deeply personal while reflecting experiences shared by Indigenous communities around the world.

With the release of SEROTONIN SOLDIER continuing this fall, OPLIAM remains committed to creating art that encourages reflection, celebrates identity and reminds listeners that healing can begin with a story.