Indigenous returns to the Zoo Bar for the first time in a couple years! If you haven’t had the pleasure of hearing this band, you are in for a real treat! Tickets will be available at the bar and on etix soon!

“Be true to who you are and what you want to do.” In an exclusive Blues Rock Review interview last summer, Mato Nanji of the South Dakota-based blues group Indigenous (and current Experience Hendrix touring member) offered this sound advice to artists looking to break into the music world. Though Nanji’s words of wisdom are relevant to a wide range of art forms, they are particularly applicable to music that thrives on the hearts and souls of its creators – namely, the blues. A year after their 2013 release Vanishing Americans, Indigenous returned in May with their 10th studio album Time Is Coming.
For their latest project, Indigenous reunited with producer Mike Varney (who recently produced Pinnick Gales Pridgen’s summer record PGP 2), making this their third collaboration. As with PGP 2, Varney allows Time Is Coming the room it needs to breathe, giving Nanji space to stretch his guitar licks out and let the music take its course. Album opener “Grey Skies” moves along at its own pace, providing a catchy chorus with skillful guitar work that reminds listeners of Nanji’s Stevie Ray Vaughan influence. “I’m Telling You” and “So Far Gone” create a similar feel as Nanji contributes headlining guitar tracks and vocals to match.
Nanji gives blues listeners little reason to doubt his guitar mastery on Time Is Coming – his skill is as clear as it was on Vanishing Americans – but while Time Is Coming offers plenty of solid tracks Indigenous fans will be excited to hear, it does not break any new ground. The guitar licks are new, but the general sound and message fall in line with past Indigenous releases. Though more familiar than innovative, Time Is Coming is still a substantial collection that speaks to Nanji’s musical talent and sincere understanding of the blues.
The Review: 8/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– Grey Skies
– I’m Telling You
– So Far Gone
The Big Hit
– Grey Skies
Review by Meghan Roos