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Inaiah Lujan was born in Los Pinos, New Mexico a town he defines by it’s flow of trains and rural feel. Unbelievably, Lujan’s mother endured a miraculous home birth while his father was collecting arrowheads during a rainstorm. Upon seeing his child for the first time, Lujan’s father declared him a future musician because of his “abnormally long fingers.â€
Near Los Pinos, NM
With an envisage struggle as a musician, Lujan set out to bring it to fruition. He toyed with a Casio keyboard at age four before moving on to more prestigious pianos and lessons. It was at this point Lujan became aware of his innately coordinate ear, making him capable of playing back virtually any tune he hears, even if he hears it only once. As an impish child, this lead to much trickery.
“I’d actually trick my instructors… repeating what they played by ear,†he says.
At six, Lujan moved with his family to an American Indian reservation in Arizona where his father became a teacher. It was here, he says, he began to appreciate a variety of musical genres, as well as where he taught himself to play the guitar. It was a time of intense growth in which Lujan begin setting himself apart from others through his musical abilities and beliefs.
“It’s a different world on the Navajo reservation, being someone who is seen as an outsider,†he says. “It took a while to win people over.â€
After dropping out of high school in 2000, the 16-year-old Lujan and his family relocated one final time, this time to Pueblo (Colorado). He befriended one of his now-former band mates, Mike Neergaard, and began playing bass for Neergaard’s punk outfit, initially called “The All-American Rejects. Due to legal trade name issues gave up that moniker and settled on the ironic appellation, A Poor Substitute . The original line-up featured Neergaard (vocals/guitar), Lujan (vocals/bass) and drummer Nick Emery. Bassist Rory Freidenberger joined the group in 2001 and Lujan took on a leadership role, playing electric guitar and fronting the band.
Lujan grew up, musically and emotionally, with this band, making and loosing friends in Pueblo’s volatile and sometimes scarce music scene. Performing at venues like Phil’s Radiator Service and the former C’s Corner Arcade on Evans, A Poor Substitute developed a following of fans still loyal today. The band has progressed during the eight years since it’s inception, as have it’s members, bridging the gap between angsty teen punk and more mature styles of rock.
Since moving to Pueblo eight years ago, Lujan has been an active participant and a primary impetus in Pueblo’s slowly expanding music scene, branching out to other musical media and genres in the process.
Praise for Lujan has increased recently with even The Pueblo Chieftain jumping on the Inaiah bandwagon, branding him “gifted,†and “prolific.†A recent Colorado Springs Independent article described the musician as “a plainly restless soul,†citing his busy project schedule, which includes A Poor Substitute; Southern rock outfit The Haunted Windchimes with sister, Chela Lujan and girlfriend Desirae Garcia; The Mexican with Chela, brother Ravi Trujillo, and Garcia; performances as DJ Flow-Nase ; and stripped down solo work for which he appears under his own name.
The Mexican - Performing at O'leavers, Omaha NE (Summer 08)
The Independent raved about The Windchimes, comparing his collaboration with Garcia to the cult-famed coupling of Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris and suggesting “quite possibly the greatest country blues “family†act since the Carters picked up a Cash…â€
The Haunted Windchimes - Chela Lujan, Desirae Garcia & Inaiah Lujan
Many musicians show technical mastery of their instrument of choice; and numerous singer-songwriter indie-folk artist bring unique, if unrefined, vocal qualities to their performance. Many of these attempts are successful on an art, aesthetic, or even commercial level. But Lujan’s musicianship and vocal depth set him apart from the majority of musical artists of his generation. With nuanced musicianship, a boomingly cavernous but not blaring, loamy-textured and soul-informed voice, and lyrics and choices of roots covers that articulate a quintessential and mythic American folk idiom. Lujan’s music is too broad and multi-layered in intention and execution to capture and cage in simple black and white.
Musician Biography By: Danielle N. Cunningham & Alfredo Kemm
Videos produced & created by Inaiah Lujan
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