After five years off and a tremendous blow to a band, bouncing back might not be the easiest thing. But Madison’s proverbial kings of reggae, Natty Nation, is showing the resiliency that comes from its hard work and solid fan base.
“It’s the first album without Jeffrey, so that’s one of the reasons why we dedicated it to him. It’s a part of our transition,” Natty lead man Demetrius Wainwright said of friend and band member Jeffrey Maxwell, who lost his battle with cancer in 2001.
“Even though we are doing our new thing, we wanted to include him — so his spirit will never give way, you know, it will never die.”
With a place firmly set in the diverse Madison music scene, which was impressive enough to garner acknowledgement from Rolling Stone (“Campus Scenes That Rock,” Feb. 20, 2003), Natty Nation is ready to release Inatty in Jah Music, the group’s first full-length studio effort in a half-decade.
“We are ever evolving,” Wainwright said. “Even if Jeffrey was still with us, we’d still be evolving, but it’s just that we don’t have him up there live in concert. This album is definitely the best yet. So that’s a good sign that we are getting better.”
As expected, Inatty in Jah Music displays the group’s distinctive reggae sound, but the album also tests the waters with a few tracks. “The guys in the studio had a hard time giving this album up. They wanted to keep tweaking it,” Wainwright said.
The extra studio effort shows. The last two tracks on the album are remixed versions of “Wise & Prudent” and “Rasta Revolution,” which enhance the reggae vibe and relaxed mindset of the album.
“The guys in the studio are still working on it, but that’s still underground,” Wainwright revealed, hinting that there might be more to come of the album.
When asked why Madison’s Luther’s Blues was chosen as their release spot for their new album, Wainwright simply stated that it kind of fell into place.
“Luther’s is a good because it seems pretty open, but you can pack it with over 300 people,” he said. “For national-touring bands, Luther’s is the local place to come to when they stop through Madison. A lot of times when we play Luther’s we get people who see us for the first time, just because they go to Luther’s to see a show.
“It’s positive energy all the way around, and you just try to take advantage of the energy.”
Madison’s positive energy keeps the band going, and it’s a reason Natty Nation works hard to produce quality music the members hope will make a name for the city they call home.
“One of the reasons we are a Madison-based band is because we were formed in Madison,” said Wainwright. “Even though we weren’t all born in Madison, everyone is pretty much a Wisconsinite, and we came together here.”
The band finds its reward for its work by going on tour, because it allows Natty the opportunity to talk about their hometown.
“Part of Natty Nation’s struggle is to put Madison on the map. You have to stay true to that,” Wainwright stated. “Everywhere we go — Colorado, and other stops on the West Coast — people say, ‘I know Madison, Wis.’ We were just down south a bit in Rock Island, Ill., and the St. Louis area, doing some shows, and people told us, ‘I was born in Madison, Wis.’ You feel a connection to it everywhere you go. You get to see it first hand, traveling.”
The scene at Luther’s Friday night should be filled with energy, considering Natty Nation will have the opportunity to release Inatty in Jah Music in front of a hometown audience.
Wainwright went on to say, “Sometimes on tour, I feel like an international superstar, and I’m just a local hero, if that. But I feel like a local hero in every different market because of the people that treat you that way.”
Natty Nation will play at Luther’s Blues, 1401 University Ave., at 9:30 p.m., this Friday, Feb. 21. The cover charge is $8.
