New Orleans, Louisiana's Iguanas reflected the diversity of musical styles found in their home state by fusing blues, classic R&B, zydeco, cajun, Tex-Mex and roots rock & roll. The group formed in 1989 around vocalist and guitarist Rod Hodges, who began playing guitar in San Francisco Bay Area blues and rock bands at age 14. While playing with a blues band in Colorado, he rediscovered the conjunto music that was a part of his mother's Mexican heritage, and inspired by master accordionist Flaco Jimenez, he took up the accordion as well. Vocalist and saxophonist Joe Cabral was raised in Nebraska, and his first musical experience came as part of his father's Mexican band. In college in Montana, he discovered Chicago blues, New Orleans R&B and the honking saxophone style.