Ian Munsick sings of his love for the land and the Lord in his newest album, White Buffalo: Introduce You To God.
Building off the unbridled success of last year’s White Buffalo, Wyoming turned Music City cowpoke Ian Munsick lays further into his love for the Lord, his family and the Wild West landscapes he grew up in with the record’s deluxe reprisal.
Released on April 5, the aptly titled White Buffalo: Introduce You To God features all 18 tracks from the original album — like fan favorites like “Long Live Cowgirls, “Dig” and “Horses & Weed” — alongside five new tunes ranging from the somber to the upbeat.
According to Munsick, the new songs were all written after recording sessions for the initial record had wrapped, with the lone exception being the refurbished version’s lead single, “Heartbreak King,” which was penned in 2020.
“There ended up being tunes I went on to write in the first half of 2023 that still felt like they were a part of White Buffalo,” Munsick tells C&I of the new songs. “Instead of trying to release them individually it felt more cohesive to include them on a deluxe version of the record.”
Aside from his songwriting, Munsick was also kept in a wild west state of mind with his work on the documentary “White Buffalo: Voices Of The West.” Released Jan. 26, it explores how cowboys and Native Americans live together as one in the wild west, running through many of the same themes expressed on his album White Buffalo in the process.
It’s a relationship Munsick is well aware of having grown up just a few miles from the Crow reservation on the Montana-Wyoming border.
“When it comes to that whole world there’s hundreds of stories that could be told,” admits Munsick. “It’s hard to just close the chapter on that part of who I am as a man and storyteller. It’s been a really exciting chapter of my musical career that I’m excited to carry with me into future chapters as well.”
Central to this new batch of songs are Munsick’s spirituality, and there’s no better example than on the opening track, “Introduce You To God.” Written directly to his four-year-old son Crawford (who he appears with on the album’s cover) similar to Sturgill Simpson to his offspring on “Welcome To Earth (Pollywog),” the ballad uses imagery of raging rivers and wandering winds to hint at the presence and power of God.
Per Munsick, it’s an appreciation that comes from growing up in an environment where nearly everyone had some job tied to agriculture or working the land, thus instilling within them a deeper appreciation of it.
“For me that’s always gone hand in hand with God, which is a relationship that began through the land as a young boy and eventually led to me getting introduced to the Bible more when I moved to Nashville a decade ago,” explains Munsick. “Becoming a father and husband has further humbled me and opened my eyes to the relationship between humans and the Earth.”
While “Introduce You To God” references an all-knowing entity, others like “Seven Sisters” explore a different kind of higher power. The haunting number is based on Native American lore passed down from Munsick’s father about the 867-foot tall Devil’s Tower national monument and the marks littering it resembling claw marks. It goes on to follow a group of sisters playing in the woods who wind up being chased by a grizzly bear that outlines the legend and supposed origin of the marks.
“They ran off to a spot where a rock was jutting out of the ground, then God raised the rock into the sky so the bear couldn’t get them,” describes Munsick. “The bear tried to climb up it before then, leading to the markings all over it. This went on to form the Seven Sisters, or Pleiades, constellation that the song is named after. Ever since being told the story as a kid I wanted to write a song about it.”
Despite being heavily steeped in spiritual influences, White Buffalo: Introduce You To God’s new songs also don’t shy away from classic country tropes. While the hell raisin’ and heartwarming “Boots, Buckles & Bolos” sees him winning over his true love with a square-toe do-si-do, hand-me-down jewelry and general country swagger, one’s like “Heartbreak King” leans fully into the “tear in your beer” aesthetic with an emotional tale about a man drinking away his sorrows from a bar stool throne.
“That’s what sparked the idea and the lyrics ‘When they see me comin’ they keep on comin’, ‘cause they’ve all felt how I feel’ —the empathy for the heartbroken is where it all came from, “ recalls Munsick of “Heartbreak King.” “After having it stuck in my head for three years I’m glad it’s finally out.”
Whether examining White Buffalo’s new or old cuts, there’s no denying Munsick’s musings harken back to a simpler time and place where a respect not only for the land, but also the neighbors whom you share it with, was paramount. It’s also made him grateful for all that he has, from a wife and kid who adore him to a career that brings him joy.
“I get to do what I love and what I love heals other people,” remarks Munsick. “There’s not many jobs that get better than that.”
PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy Christopher Douglas
