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You could close your eyes and feel the spirits of the greatest guitar players to ever walk the face of this planet as Mato Nanji of Indigenous made Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix come to life. Attending one of their live shows is a MUST as a recording simply doesn’t do this band justice. Not only from a pure musical perspective, but their chemistry and energy wouldn’t transfer to plastic!

Prior to the show, we had an opportunity to talk with Mato about his music, his life, and his family which are all indigenous to one another. (Photo Gallery)

MusicPi x: Your father played an important role in the development of your love of music and incubated the band until ‘it was ready’. Can you talk about your relationship with your father and shed some light/give advice to parents who want to encourage music in their child’s life?

Mato: In the beginning, my dad used to be a musician and traveled around with all sorts of bands before we were even born…that’s what he did- and then when we came along and my mom came along, that’s where we got interested as we were growing up when we were really young, maybe 10. The first thing I wanted to play was drums but we didn’t have any, so I kinda moved on from there. But I think in the beginning, my dad really didn’t want me to get into it as much because he’d been around it and he knew what it was about…huh, lots of travel and play all over- he was a little bit skeptical. My mom was actually the one who was into it- supportive of it and talked him into it and after that he was totally 100% into it. After that, he basically sat us down and made us rehearse from noon to midnight-all day and all night. I began playing the guitar because that was my dad’s instrument because that’s what we had in the basement-some amps and guitars. But after that, he kinda picked the instruments for everybody else-Wanbdi ended up on drums and Pte on bass.

The advice I would be would be to give support. For me, it was really inspirational for me to keep doing what I was doing and to have the support from my Mom and my Dad to say yea, go ahead out there and do it. That was the main thing for me. I guess either way, if it wasn’t there, it would have been tougher. As a player and for me growin’ up it’s always something that I wanted to do, I would have probably ended up doing it anyway…

MusicPix: What’s it like working with your family?

Mato: It’s actually really cool. Like I said before, playing with my brother and my sister, everybody knows each other really well because we basically grew up playing together. We’ve been around each other. We know what makes each other mad. Everybody in the group is pretty easy going. Of course, we have disagreements on this and that and we argue but it’s evened out over the years as we’ve played together, toured together and recorded together….it really becomes fun after a while.

MusicPix: What is the meaning behind Indigenous?

Mato: It’s always meant everything- where we come from. Everything basically comes from somewhere. For me, it doesn’t point out a specific person or a specific race. It’s everything that’s here and living. That’s the way I viewed the word and that’s the reason I liked it. I always thought that it meant more…oh these guys are native, oh, these guys are this- these guys are that. It thought it as everybody.

MusicPix: Specifically, is there anything that you trying to achieve your music?

Mato: I think we’ve always wanted to play as a band and to be out and ready to learn and try new things. Like I said, everybody thought that we’d be a traditional flute band and be something but we’d come out we’d be something totally different and they’d be totally surprised-ha ha- they never expected a band like us to come out and do what we do. But I think that I’ve always wanted to play like Jimi Hendrix or Stevie Ray Vaughn and my dad, he was really into that kind of music which kinda influenced everything. Actually different styles because we grew up in the late 80’s and early 90’s when Pearl Jam, Black Crows that kind of stuff was when that was going on….

MusicPix: Where do you find inspiration for your music?

Mato: I think it’s a mixture of all that. And having my mom and my dad be so influential and them helping us move along, I think that’s where a lot of the inspiration comes from too.

MusicPix: After completing your fourth album, what is the single most-important thing you’ve learned about the music industry?

Mato: Everybody wants a certain kind of thing- everybody wants a certain kind of sound. And from what I’ve seen, we really don’t fit into that… [chuckles] We’re actually totally different. If something becomes popular, like a Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Jon Mayer, the next thing to you know you hear a bunch of new bands that sound like that. I guess it’s even in the era of Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots that’s how it’s been to pick up on that and go for that same kind of sound. But I think, for me, that’s always been how I’ve see the industry. I guess that they’re always looking for something that’s going to make them a fast buck- something that they can take out there and promote. The business side, as you may have heard from other musicians, is pretty sucky.

MusicPix: Any plans for a new studio release?

Mato: As a matter of fact, yea. We’ve gotten a lot of songs together and will be going into the studio here real soon. We’re hoping to get it out before the end of the year.

MusicPix: When you’re writing, what generally comes first? Music or lyric?

Mato: For me, I usually figure out a riff or something and it kind of sticks. When we get together as a band- we get in there and have a bunch of ideas and work it out together. Even if I write a song, I bring it to them and they add to it. It’s like that for them too. When Wanbdi and Pte bring in a song, we work it out together. Sometimes, I’ll write the lyrics and that will be that. Sometimes Wanbdi will write the lyrics or write a song. It works all together. We’ve co-written with the Davey Brothers and Doyle Bramhall…we just collaborate with other people.

Musicpix: If you could line-up ‘Your Perfect Music Festival’- who would play & where would it be?

Mato: What I would like to see…would be in the middle of nowhere would be cool…ha ha…in the middle of America where there’s really nothing. All kinds of bands. I think it would work too. One of the new bands I like is Audio Slave- they are kinda rockin’, kinda heavy- Big Head Todd & The Monsters is one of my favorites. Black Crows, Pearl Jam, BB King- everybody.

MusicPix: You’ve been fortunate and impressed some big names in the industry. How did they discover you?

Mato: We just sent them CD’s and tried to get on their tour and stuff. I guess they dug it and we got on the tour. It was really fun. We’ve played with Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, and the Indigo Girls. Jackson Browne’s fans- Bonnie Raitt fans-a whole mixture of fans…it was really fun and great to play to those fans and how much we got back from those fans. They’re fans seemed to like us… they really dug it…it was cool.

MusicPix: One of our favorite questions is to ask artists to describe their perfect world?

Mato: I guess it would be for everybody to be together and be more peaceful would be the main thing. That’s the whole reason that the kind of music that we play connects to all kinds of people- all kinds of fans-all kinds of races. And growin’ up, the way my dad raised us was never about race. When you’re out there touring, you always run into something like that. For me, it’s one of the most stupid things that I’ve ever seen –judging people by the way they look or the color of their skin. … if that was gone, it would be a different world.

MusicPix Six: We’re going to finish up with a series of questions that we ask every artist, called The MusicPix Six.

MusicPix: What is the first musical instrument you played?

Mato: Guitar

MusicPix: And at what age?

Mato: 10 or 11

MusicPix: What artist/performer influenced you the most?

Mato: I would have to say my Dad.

MusicPix: If you weren’t in your current band, what band would you like to play in?

Mato: That’s a tough one cause I’d like to just jam with all kinds of bands… I guess BB King.

MusicPix: What are your 3 ‘dessert island’ albums?

Mato: Probably Jimmy Reed, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn

MusicPix: Who do you think is the most over-rated in the music industry?

Mato: (long pause) I guess Britney Spears because it’s (she’s) there for something else-she’s not a musician. It’s (she’s) designed to make money…

For me… as a musician, I really like what I’m doing and playing music that I play and I want to just take it out there to music fans… It hard for me, and I guess unfair to say that someone’s over-rated. Everybody’s just doing their thing…

The Band:
Mato-lead guitar, vocals
Wanbdi-drums, vocals
Pte –bass, vocals

Discography:


Indigenous ( July 2003)

1. C'mon Suzie
2. You Turn My World Around
3. What You Do To Me
4. Hold On
5. I'm Still Here
6. Be Right There
7. Movin' On
8. Want You To Say
9. Shame Shame Shame
10. Take Some Time
11. Where Are You
12. I Wonder
13. Monkeyshuffle


Indigenous Circle (May 2000)

1 Little Time
2 Can't Keep Me From You
3 You Left Me This Mornin'
4 Evolution Revolution
5 You Were The One
6 Stay With Me
7 Seven Steps Away
8 Remember
9 Rest Of My Days
10 Waiting For You
11 The Moon Is Shining


Indigenous LIVE at PACHYDERM (November 1999)

1. Holdin' Out
2. Begin To Wonder
3. Don't Take Your Time
4. Blues From The Sky
5. Blues This Morning
6. Water
7. I Wonder Why
8. Bring Back That Day
9. Red House

Things We Do (September 1998)

1. Things We Do
2. Got To Tell You
3. Now That You've Gone
4. Blues This Morning
5. Bring Back That Day
6. Nothing I Can Do
7. Begin To Wonder
8. How Far
9. What's Goin' On
10. Don't Take Your Time
11. Holdin' Out
12. Another Yesterday

 

You can check out the official website for Indigenous by clicking here.

By: Gwyn Tyme