Today, Nahko And Medicine For The People announce their uplifting and vulnerable new album, ‘Take Your Power Back,’ out May 15th on SideOneDummy records. Recorded in Los Angeles,‘Take Your Power Back’ grapples with grief, trauma, reconciliation, self-love and acceptance, fusing conscious folk-rock with alternative R&B production to create a genre bending body of sound.
Nahko And Medicine For The People also release their new single, "Garden," a propulsive track about growth, unity and the meaning of home. “It takes courage to tend the garden of your body, mind, and soul,” Nahko told Relix of the song. Listen to “Garden” here: https://youtu.be/v8-qiMJAaSw
Like the band’s previous singles, the release of “Garden” intentionally coincides with the lunar calendar and more specifically, the arrival of the new moon. The new moon is recognized in astrology as a time of resetting intentions and direction. For Nahko and his fans, it is a celebration of new music.
“I had half a year just to cultivate and create on a deeper level with this record,” Nahko explains. “I realized that I hadn’t allowed myself to explore some of the darker parts of my psyche before because I’d never had the language for it. Sometimes you have to go through the mud to find the flowers.”
Early singles “Lifeguard” and “Slow Down” have earned praise from Paste and American Songwriter, and “Slow Down” landed on Spotify’s New Music Friday Canada playlist the week it came out. “Lifeguard” uses the metaphor of drowning as an allegory for society’s need to make sweeping change, while “Slow Down” - a song that Nahko calls “a lullaby and ode to our plant teachers” - encourages listeners to do just that: live slowly, more intentionally, and with gratitude.
Born Joel Miguel Nahkohe-ese Parayno of Puerto Rican, Filipino, and Apache origins, Nahko was adopted at birth into a conservative Christian family. Instead of choosing to accept the orthodox lifestyle inherited from his adoptive parents, Nahko elected to challenge them. At the age of 17, he left his adopted family home in Portland, Oregon behind, headed first to Alaska and then to Hawaii, embarking on a voyage of self-discovery and marking the beginning of a deconstruction process, a reclaiming of identity, and the rebirth of Nahko and his unique heritage. Nahko released his debut album ‘On The Verge’ in 2011, but his breakthrough came two years later with ‘Dark As Night,’ which landed in the Top Ten on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart. Over the course of two more albums, Nahko solidified his reputation along the way as an outspoken activist and advocate for both social and environmental justice. Today, Nahko And Medicine For The People have built a fervent fan community (self-dubbed The Medicine Tribe) and lend support to charities close that resonate with the group’s core values, including Amazon Watch, Indigenous Regeneration, and Honor the Earth.
Nahko And Medicine For The People have sold out major venues including Red Rocks Amphitheater and performed at festivals like Glastonbury, Bonnaroo and more. They will head out on an extensive international tour this year, including a performance at Lollapalooza Chile in March and a return to Red Rocks in June. Full tour routing below.
PRE-ORDER ‘TAKE YOUR POWER BACK’ (LIVE ON JAN. 24TH)
BUY/STREAM “GARDEN" (LIVE ON JAN. 24TH)
MORE INFO ON NAHKO AND MEDICINE FOR THE PEOPLE
NAHKO AND MEDICINE FOR THE PEOPLE 2020 TOUR DATES
FEB 21 – Uvita, Costa Rica – Envision Festival
FEB 23 – Uvita, Costa Rica – Envision Festival (Solo)
MAR 3 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Fremont Theatre
MAR 4 – Petaluma, CA – Mystic Theatre
MAR 7 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst Club
MAR 8 – Stateline, NV – MontBleu Resort Showroom
MAR 20 – St. Petersburg, FL – Reggae Rise Up
MAR 27 – Santiago, Chile – Lollapalooza Chile
APR 24 - Tulum, Mexico - Art With Me (Solo)
MAY 22 - Monterey, CA - Cali Roots Music and Arts Festival
