Indigenous guitarist/leader Mato Nanji plays like a Texas blues die-hard, making his Stratocaster wail and keen through his band’s new
Broken Lands, released Aug. 12. Nanji’s close relationship to his instrument has been Indigenous’ musical and emotional core ever since the group’s 1998 debut. Nonetheless, the band has experienced a radical change. After 2006’s
Chasing the Sun, Nanji’s bassist brother Pte, his drummer sister Wantabi and his percussionist cousin Horse split to chase their own muses. Now Indigenous is a different kind of family business.
“I co-wrote all but one of the songs on this album with my wife Leah,” said Nanji by phone from their home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. “We’ve worked on songs together for years, but this album really let us bring out our musical partnership, which is very special to me. Leah also sings back-up harmonies. She was able to do some of that on
Chasing the Sun, but to me her voice is an essential part of
Broken Lands.”
What’s also essential is the themes of adult romance and social awareness that ― like Nanji’s epic string-slinging ― have been a part of Indigenous’ fabric since the group emerged from South Dakota’s Nakota Nation to claim a place among American roots rock’s elite.
“Place I Know” has the deepest cultural conscience. It’s a penetrating riff-hooked rocker that portrays the poverty and isolation of reservation life and gives the album its title in the line, “
all is lost in these broken lands.”
“I love the way all of these songs came out, but ‘Place I Know’ is one of the closest to me,” said Nanji. “It’s important to bear witness about the things that inspire love in your life
and about the things that make you sad.”
Most often the vibe on
Broken Lands is warm and positive. Nanji’s brawny mids-heavy guitar tone, which makes his singing linear solos sail, glues together the influences of his idols Stevie Ray Vaughan, Los Lobos, Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana to sustain the heartfelt appeal of both romantic soul-searchers like “Should I Stay” and melodramatic blues-rock brooders like “Waiting.”
Nanji concentrated on lyrics this time, so there’s no 10-minute epic on the disc. And he kept his studio gear trim: a few Strats, a couple amps including the distinctive whir of a Leslie cabinet and a Guild acoustic.
Developing songs at home allowed Nanji more time to work on vocal melodies, but what he really wanted to capture was the more expansive live ensemble sound of Indigenous’ current line-up. The group includes guitarist Kris Lager, keyboardist Jeremiah Weir, bassist Aaron Wright and drummer John Fairchild, who were joined by drummer Kirk Stallings, percussionist Chico Perez and Leah Nanji for the
Broken Lands sessions. Producer Jamie Candiloro (Ryan Adams, R.E.M., Willie Nelson, the Eagles) set ’em up live in the studio.
“I wanted to make an album like this for years,” Nanji explains, “The songs are more personal. The sound of the band has broadened and the guitar playing is more controlled, which really lets the songs speak for themselves. On top of all that, I’ve grown as a singer. All of this makes me very happy.”