After selling more than 100,000 copies of its 1998 debut, "Things We Do," the Native American group Indigenous has returned with a new rock and blues-drenched album, "Circle," the first single from which, "Little Time," has already charted on rock radio.

Formed by siblings Mato Nanji, Horse, Pte, and sister Wanbdi, Indigenous got its first break back in 1996, when the band contributed a track to the "Honor: A Benefit For The Honor The Earth Campaign" CD compiled by the Indigo Girls' Amy Ray.

The band subsequently signed with Pachyderm Records and issued "Things We Do," an album that led to an extensive headlining tour as well as opening stints for the likes of Bob Dylan and B.B. King.

For "Circle," Indigenous worked with Texas singer-songwriter Doyle Bramhall, who collaborated with legendary guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan on material for several of Vaughan's albums, including 1989's "In Step."

Indigenous frontman and guitarist Mato Nanji and bassist Pte recently talked with MTV News about the "Little Time" single, a track that was more or less improvised on the spot at Bramhall's prompting.

"Actually ['Little Time'], when I first wrote it, it was something totally different than what it turned out to be," Nanji said of the song's creation. "I think... I brought it to everybody, and we started working on it, and it just kinda became so different than what it started out to be."

"We were out on the road, and we didn't even do this song yet, right?" Pte said. "We had most of the other songs already recorded and had kind of figured out what was going on, but 'Little Time,' that wasn't even on the [set] list at all."

Pte continued. "And I was like, 'Yeah, I've got a song,' and Mato goes, 'I've got one,' and [Bramhall] said, 'Let's try them.' 'Little Time' ended up turning out the way it did, but I had never heard it, nobody had heard this song, and I don't think that Mato had really heard it in his head yet."

"No, it just happened right there in the studio," Nanji agreed.

"Yeah, right there," Pte said.

"Then Doyle came in and kind of helped us," Nanji added, "and we just kind of worked it out."

"I think about 45 minutes later we cut the [track]," Pte said.

According to Pte and Nanji, Indigenous' ability to improvise in the studio and on stage is strengthened and reinforced by its familial bonds, a point driven home last year when the band had to find a temporary replacement drummer for Wanbdi.

"I think it's a lot easier," Nanji said, "because then you actually know everybody that you totally grown up with, and we're only a few years apart [in age]."

"You can put a lot of trust in everybody," Pte said,

"Yeah, music with brothers and sisters," Nanji said, laughing.

"It does make it a lot easier," Pte continued, "because when our sister got hurt in a car accident a year ago, we went out with another drummer; a great drummer, one of my best friends. But it wasn't the [same] playing like that."

"It was different than playing with our sister," Mato agreed.

Pte added. "I don't like playing with hardly anybody but her, who is the only drummer that I really like playing with. It's easy when you're on stage with everybody. You look at each other, and everybody knows what's going on." [RealAudio]

Indigenous is set to play the Karma Lounge in Boston on Thursday night and will then roll into Philadelphia and Columbus, Ohio this weekend.

Current dates for Indigenous' "Circle" tour:

  • 5/25 - Boston, MA @ Karma Lounge
  • 5/26 - New Haven, CT @ Toad's Place
  • 5/27 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero
  • 5/28 - Columbus, OH @ Bicentennial Park
  • 5/29 - Cleveland, OH @ Rib Cook-Off
  • 5/31 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Metropol
  • 6/1 - Bloomington, IN @ Bluebird Nightclub
  • 6/2 - Chicago, IL @ Martyrs'
  • 6/30 - Wagner, SD @ Fort Randall Casino
  • 7/1 - Green Bay, WI @ Oneida Casino
  • 7/4 - Duluth, MN @ Bayfront July 4th Festival
  • 7/8 - Toronto, ON @ Harbourfront Centre
  • 7/9 - Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Blues Festival
  • 7/11 - Rochester, NY @ Rochester MusicFest
  • 7/13 - Charlottesville, VA @ Trax
  • 7/14 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Pittsburgh Blues Festival
  • 7/15 - Onancock, VA @ Eastern Shores Music Festival
  • 7/16 - Norfolk, VA @ The Norva
  • 7/20 - Apple Valley, MN @ Minnesota Zoo Amphitheatre
  • 7/22 - Kansas City, MO @ Blues & Jazz Festival
  • 8/4 - Cardwell, MT @ Rockin' The Rockies
  • 8/5 - Pendleton, OR @ Wild Horse Gaming Resort
  • 8/10 - Portland, OR @ Oregon Zoo Amphitheatre
  • 8/17 - New York, NY @ Robert F. Wagner Theatre
  • 9/3 - Seattle, WA @ Bumbershoot Festival
  • 10/30 - Sioux Falls, SD @ Sioux Falls Arena