Red Spirit Singers Carry Generations of Ute Voices Into New Album

Music can carry history across generations, preserving the voices, teachings and traditions of a people while creating a bridge to those who will come next.

That spirit is at the heart of Land of the Sun (Ute Nation Utah), the new album from the Red Spirit Singers, released August 28 by Toy Gun Murder Records.

The album comes from a group whose music is deeply connected to the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation in northeastern Utah, home to the Ute Indian Tribe. The reservation is one of the largest in the United States, and the community continues to face significant economic challenges.

Against that backdrop, the Red Spirit Singers have used music to maintain and share Ute cultural traditions for generations.

The group was formed in 1988 by AJ Kanip, his cousin and his uncles. Today, the Red Spirit Singers include members of the second and third generations of the family, carrying forward the songs and teachings they learned from their elders.

The recording of Land of the Sun was itself a deeply meaningful experience.

Before the recording began, one of the singers had a dream about an elder who had passed on.

“Every one that has passed over knows about what you’re doing with the recording. And we approve. We are happy that you are sharing our voices,” the elder said in the dream.

The singer then burned incense as a blessing for the recording.

The resulting album captures the raw power of the group, which included 13 singers and 10 drummers. The recording was made without electricity, creating a sound that reflects the physical presence and energy of the singers and drum.

The group enlarged its drum for the recording, while a corrugated sled more than 6 feet long was incorporated into the process. Handheld toms were also used.

The result was, according to those involved in the recording, the loudest thing they had ever recorded.

For the Red Spirit Singers, however, the music is about much more than volume or performance. It is about carrying culture forward.

“It’s a privilege to sing. Not everyone can sing, wherever you’re located on the Earth. There are few people that can really raise the spirit and have people enjoy themselves. That’s what was taught by our elders, which is why we wanted to be a part of it and learned to sing of our culture,” AJ Kanip said.

The younger generation is also finding its place within the group.

Joseph Kanip, 30, represents the continuation of that family tradition. His solo song, “Alone,” closes the album, and he appears on the album cover.

His participation reflects the way the Red Spirit Singers have evolved while remaining connected to the teachings of those who came before them.

Ian Brennan, who was involved in the recording, described the group’s sound as one that connects the distant past with the future.

“My favorite music is that which sounds ancient, but also as if it’s traveled from the future at the same time. The Red Spirit Singers embody that, and more,” Brennan said.

That connection between generations is central to Land of the Sun. The album provides listeners with an introduction to the Red Spirit Singers while offering something deeper: an opportunity to hear a Ute family and community continuing to carry their voices forward.

For the Red Spirit Singers, singing is both a responsibility and a privilege.

It is a way of honoring the elders who taught them, strengthening the generations singing today and ensuring that the voices of their ancestors continue to be heard by those yet to come.

Land of the Sun (Ute Nation Utah) is available through Toy Gun Murder Records.