Born and raised on the Yankton Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, Indigenous front man Mato Nanji dedicates his album Time Is Coming to Indigenous youth. The son of respected spiritual leader and musician Greg Zephier, Sr., Mato grew up surrounded by his father’s blues records and the music of The Vanishing Americans. Guided by that influence, he formed Indigenous in his late teens with his siblings and cousin, quickly building a national following. Their 1998 debut Things We Do earned major acclaim, with its Chris Eyre–directed video winning at the American Indian Film Festival and screening at Sundance. B.B. King soon invited the young band to join his 1999 Blues Tour, a milestone their father sadly did not live to see.
Indigenous’ momentum continued with 2000’s Circle, produced by Doyle Bramhall, Sr., followed by several more albums before the siblings parted ways in 2006. Mato carried on the Indigenous name, releasing Chasing the Sun, with songs featured on Deadliest Catch and Sons of Anarchy. His 2008 album Broken Lands paid tribute to his Native heritage and the realities of reservation life, while 2010’s Acoustic Sessions revisited favorites in stripped‑down form.
Mato’s 2012 release Indigenous featuring Mato Nanji marked his debut on Blues Bureau International and featured a fiery collaboration with Jonny Lang. Alongside his own work, Mato has been a longtime member of the acclaimed Experience Hendrix Tour, performing with legends like Billy Cox, Buddy Guy, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Eric Johnson. He later teamed with David Hidalgo and Luther Dickinson for the hard‑driving 3 Skulls and the Truth.
His influence extended further when Otis Taylor’s 2013 album My World Is Gone was inspired by a backstage conversation with Mato about the struggles of the Nakota Nation. That same year, Mato honored his father with Vanishing Americans, which reached the iTunes Top 10 Blues Chart. With Time Is Coming (2014), producer Mike Varney praised Mato’s continued growth as a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter.
Mato dedicates the album to Indigenous youth, reflecting on the challenges facing families and communities on the reservation. His message is one of resilience, hope, and the belief that “tomorrow is another day.”
Mato’s impact also shaped the Navajo family band The Plateros, who joined Indigenous on the 2012 Kinship Tour. By 2014, Levi Platero, Douglas Platero, and Bronson Begay became Indigenous’ rhythm section, creating a powerful new lineup whose chemistry lit up stages across the East Coast.
