Local Natives

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Local Natives
Local Natives performing at Ypsigrock in Castelbuono, Italy in August 2013
Local Natives performing at Ypsigrock in Castelbuono, Italy in August 2013
Background information
OriginSilver Lake, Los Angeles, California, United States
GenresIndie rock
Years active2005–present
LabelsFrenchkiss, Infectious, Loma Vista
Websitelocalnatives.com
MembersTaylor Rice
Kelcey Ayer
Ryan Hahn
Matt Frazier
Nik Ewing
Past membersAndy Hamm

Local Natives is an American indie rock band based in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. The band consists of Taylor Rice (vocals, guitar), Kelcey Ayer (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Ryan Hahn (guitar, backing vocals), Matt Frazier (drums) and Nik Ewing (bass).

Their debut album, Gorilla Manor, was first released in the UK in November 2009, and later released in the US on February 16, 2010. The album received mostly positive reviews[1] and debuted on the Billboard 200 and at No. 3 in the New Artist Chart.[2] Their second album, Hummingbird, was released in January 2013. Their third album, Sunlit Youth, was released in September 2016. Their fourth album, Violet Street, was released April 2019.

History[]

2005–2011: Formation and Gorilla Manor[]

Main article: Gorilla Manor

The band came together in Orange County, where Kelcey Ayer, Ryan Hahn, and Taylor Rice attended Tesoro High School. One year after graduating college at UCLA, they were joined by bassist Andy Hamm and drummer Matt Frazier. In December 2008, they all moved to a house in Silver Lake and started work on their debut album.[3]

Everything the band creates comes from a complete collaboration between their members, from songwriting to artwork.[3] Their debut album, Gorilla Manor, was named after the house they all shared in Orange County, where most of the album was written. “It was insanely messy and there were always friends over knocking around on guitars or our thrift store piano,” said Hahn. “It was an incredible experience and I’ll never forget that time.” [3] The self-funded Gorilla Manor was recorded by Raymond Richards in his own Red Rockets Glare Studio, in West Los Angeles, and was produced by Richards and the band.[3]

Touring[]

The band started to attract the attention of the music press after playing nine shows at the 2009 SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, where initial reviews drew favorable comparisons to Arcade Fire, Fleet Foxes, and Vampire Weekend,[4] as well as "sort of a West Coast Grizzly Bear."[5]

In 2010, the group's song Wide Eyes became known in Australia after appearing during an election campaign advertisement for the Australian Democrats. In 2011, they embarked on a European tour, served as opening act for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and made their debut in Australia at St Jerome's Laneway Festival[6]

Hamm's departure[]

It was announced March 18, 2011 that the band had parted ways with bassist Andy Hamm. A post on the band's website stated, "It is with extremely heavy hearts that we announce that we have recently parted ways with our bassist Andy Hamm. Due to unresolved differences within the band, we strongly feel that, in order to continue in a positive direction, this is the best course of action. We wish Andy the best and will miss him deeply."[7]

2012–2013: Hummingbird[]

Main article: Hummingbird (Local Natives album)
Local Natives onstage at Optimus Primavera Sound in 2013

At Lollapalooza the band announced that they built a new studio and were working on completing their second full-length album, Hummingbird, which was released January 29, 2013.[8] Hummingbird was produced by Aaron Dessner of The National, and though it departed from the "battle-cry urgency" of Gorilla Manor's Sun Hands, singer/guitarist Taylor Rice doesn't look at 'Hummingbird' as a darker album pointing out moments of optimism, and attributing the altered subject matter to the changes and emotions that came in the years since their debut, such as Ayer's mother passing away from breast cancer.[9]

Since 2012, the band has been joined with Nik Ewing as their touring bassist but it was announced at Austin City Limits that he has become an official member on October 11, 2013.[10]

2014–2018: Sunlit Youth[]

Main article: Sunlit Youth

In August 2014, at a concert in Salt Lake City, Utah, as part of the Twilight Concert Series, the band announced that they had already begun work on their third studio album.[11]

On April 29, 2016, Local Natives released a new single, "Past Lives", saying, "The world is not static, it’s made new over and over again. But we tend to live the same patterns in a loop, loving the same way, wrestling the same demons, the same dynamics playing out around us again and again. Untangling every moment and decision that led us to where we are now can make fate feel concrete, inescapable. But our world is not fixed, it’s constantly reemerging, and we can change it into whatever we want.”[12] In May 2016, the band premiered the first songs from the album live.[13]

The album Sunlit Youth was released on September 9, 2016.[14] The single "I Saw You Close Your Eyes" was released on March 23, 2017,[15] followed by another one-off single on May 19, 2017, "The Only Heirs", a collaboration with Nico Segal.[16]

On September 22, 2017, Kelcey released his debut solo album, Tasha Sits Close to the Piano, under the name Jaws of Love.[17] On December 21, 2018 under the name Chewing, Nik released his debut solo album, Pacific Ocean Blue, a cover of Dennis Wilson's 1977 album in its entirety.[18]

2019-2020: Violet Street and Sour Lemon[]

Main article: Violet Street

On March 8, 2019, the band announced their fourth studio album, Violet Street, releasing a music video "When Am I Gonna Lose You", which featured actress Kate Mara.[19] Violet Street was released on April 26, 2019 and received generally positive reviews, garnering a 7.2 by Pitchfork's Ian Cohen.[20] The band have since made guest appearances on numerous television and YouTube music series, performing "When Am I Gonna Lose You" on the likes of Ellen, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Enmore Audio.[21][22][23]

In October 2020, the band released an EP, Sour Lemon, recorded in September 2019 with producer Chris Coady. The release was supported by a one-off livestream concert on October 21, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as performances on Ellen and Jimmy Kimmel Live! with Sharon Van Etten.[24][25]

Members[]

Current

  • Taylor Rice – vocals, guitar (2005–present)
  • Kelcey Ayer – vocals, keyboards, percussion, guitar (2005–present)
  • Ryan Hahn – guitar, keyboards, vocals (2005–present)
  • Matt Frazier – drums (2005–present)
  • Nik Ewing – bass, keyboards, vocals (2012–present)[26]

Former

  • Andy Hamm – bass guitar (2006–2011)

Gallery[]

  • Kelcey Ayer on vocals and keyboards

  • Ryan Hahn on vocals and guitar

  • Nik Ewing on vocals and bass guitar

  • Matt Frazier on drums

  • Taylor Rice on vocals and guitar

Discography[]

Albums[]

Studio albums[]

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
Title Details Peak chart positions
US
[27] 		US
Rock
[28] 		BEL
(FL)
[29] 		BEL
(WA)
[30] 		IRL
[31] 		NED
[32] 		SWE
[33] 		UK
[34] 		UK
Indie
[35]
Gorilla Manor
  • Released: November 2, 2009 (UK)
    February 16, 2010 (US)
  • Label: Infectious, Frenchkiss
 160 47 51 — — 72 — — 30
Hummingbird
  • Released: January 29, 2013
  • Label: Infectious, Frenchkiss
 12 4 23 91 32 60 56 58 6
Sunlit Youth 23 8 86 92 — 165 — — —[A]
Violet Street
  • Released: April 26, 2019[19]
  • Label: Loma Vista
 —[B] —[C] — — — — — — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Live albums[]

List of live albums, with selected chart positions
Title Details Peak chart positions
US
Indie
[39]
iTunes Session 39

EPs[]

List of EPs
Title Details
Sour Lemon

Singles[]

List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
AAA
[41] 		US
Alt.
[42] 		US
Rock
[43] 		BEL
(FL)
Tip
[29] 		CAN
Rock
[44] 		MEX
Air.
[45] 		UK
Sales
[46]
"Sun Hands" 2009 — — — — — — — Gorilla Manor
"Camera Talk" — — — — — — 94
"Airplanes" 2010 — — — — — 24 52
"Wide Eyes" — — — — — 31 —
"Who Knows Who Cares" — — — — — — —
"World News" — — — — — — —
"Breakers" 2012 — — 38 — — 43 50 Hummingbird
"Heavy Feet" 2013 — — — 74 — — 54
"You & I" — — — — — — 30
"Ceilings" — — — — — — 56
"Past Lives" 2016 — — — —[D] — — — Sunlit Youth
"Villainy" — — — — — — —
"Fountain of Youth" — — — —[E] — — —
"Coins" — — — — — — —
"Fountain of Youth (live)"[47] — — — — — — — 30 Days, 50 Songs
"Ultralight Beam" — — — — — — — Non-album singles
"I Saw You Close Your Eyes" 2017 — — — — — — —
"The Only Heirs" — — — — — — —
"When Am I Gonna Lose You"[19] 2019 5 7 17 —[F] 45 — — Violet Street
"Café Amarillo" — — — — — — —
"Tap Dancer" — — — — — — —
"Megaton Mile" — — — — — — —
"Nova"[48] — — — — — — — Non-album singles
"Dark Days"[49]
(featuring Sylvan Esso) 		2020 18 — —[G] — — — —
"Francesca" / "Weekends"[51]
(with Classixx) 		— — — — — — —
"Statues in the Garden (Arras)"[52] — — — — — — — Sour Lemon
"Lemon"[53]
(featuring Sharon Van Etten) 		2021 — — — — — — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Notes[]

  1. ^ Sunlit Youth did not enter the UK Independent Albums Chart, but peaked at number 4 on the UK Independent Album Breakers Chart.[36]
  2. ^ Violet Street did not enter the US Billboard 200, but peaked at number 51 on the US Billboard Top Album Sales Chart.[37]
  3. ^ Violet Street did not enter the US Billboard Top Rock Albums Chart, but peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard Rock Album Sales Chart.[38]
  4. ^ "Past Lives" did not enter the Flanders Ultratop 50, but spent 4 weeks as an extra tip on the Flemish Ultratop Bubbling Under chart.[29]
  5. ^ "Fountain of Youth" did not enter the Flanders Ultratop 50, but spent 4 weeks as an extra tip on the Flemish Ultratop Bubbling Under chart.[29]
  6. ^ "When Am I Gonna Lose You" did not enter the Flanders Ultratop 50, but spent 4 weeks as an extra tip on the Flemish Ultratop Bubbling Under chart.[29]
  7. ^ "Dark Days" did not enter the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, but peaked at number 49 on the Rock Airplay chart.[50]

References[]

  1. ^ "Reviews for Gorilla Manor by Local Natives". Metacritic. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  2. ^ "Local Natives Debut On Billboard Top 200 & No. 3 On New Artist Chart". AltSounds. February 24, 2010. Archived from the original on January 20, 2011. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Frenchkiss Records". Frenchkiss Records. 2013-01-29. Archived from the original on 2012-11-27. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  4. ^ Lester, Paul (June 3, 2009). "New Band Of The Day". The Guardian. London. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
  5. ^ "Album Reviews: Local Natives: Gorilla Manor". Pitchfork.com. February 15, 2010. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  6. ^ "Local Natives add headline shows to first Australian tour". Abc.net.au. November 18, 2010. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  7. ^ "Unfortunate News". Outtasightblog.tumblr.com. March 18, 2011. Archived from the original on August 23, 2011. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  8. ^ "Lollapalooza Sun Hands Performance". Youtube.com. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  9. ^ Lau, Melody (2013-02-25). "Local Natives Growth Spurt". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  10. ^ "Local Natives' Big Vaulted Ceilings". Laweekly.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-12. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  11. ^ "Staring At Our Ceilings: Local Natives Come to Salt Lake City". Saltartists.com. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  12. ^ "Local Natives Return to the Present With New Single "Past Lives" — TRANSVERSO". Transversomedia.com. 2016-04-29. Retrieved 2017-05-18.
  13. ^ "We Caught the First Preview of Local Natives' New Album at a Surprise LA Show - Noisey". noisey. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
  14. ^ Mongredien, Phil (2016-09-11). "Local Natives: Sunlit Youth review – clever but overpolished indie". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
  15. ^ Minsker, Evan. "Local Natives' New Song Will Only Play If You Close Your Eyes". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  16. ^ Havens, Lyndsey. "Local Natives Drop Gleaming New Track 'The Only Heirs' With Nico Segal: Listen". Billboard. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  17. ^ Helman, Peter. "Jaws Of Love. (Local Natives' Kelcey Ayer) – "Jaws Of Love."". Stereogum. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  18. ^ Stutz, Colin. "Local Natives Side Project Chewing Announces Dennis Wilson Cover Album, Shares New Tracks: Premiere". Billboard. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b c Bloom, Madison (March 8, 2019). "Local Natives Announce New Album, Share New Video Starring Kate Mara: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  20. ^ Cohen, Ian. "Local Natives: Violet Street". Pitchfork. Condé Nast. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  21. ^ Local Natives Perform 'When Am I Gonna Lose You'
  22. ^ Watch Local Natives Perform Two Tracks on ‘Kimmel’, retrieved 2019-10-11
  23. ^ Local Natives - When Am I Gonna Lose You, retrieved 2019-10-11
  24. ^ Local Natives Perform “Statues in the Garden (Arras)” on Ellen: Watch
  25. ^ Watch Local Natives & Sharon Van Etten Sing “Lemon” Together On Kimmel
  26. ^ "Local Natives in Concert : NPR". Npr.org. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  27. ^ "Local Natives – Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  28. ^ "Local Natives – Chart History: Rock Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  29. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Discografie Local Natives". ultratop.be (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  30. ^ "Discografie Local Natives". ultratop.be (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  31. ^ "Discography Local Natives". irish-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  32. ^ "Local Natives MegaCharts" (in Dutch). MegaCharts / Dutchcharts. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  33. ^ "Discography Local Natives". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  34. ^ "Official Charts - Local Natives" (select "Albums" tab). Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  35. ^ Peaks on the UK Independent Albums Chart:
  36. ^ "Official Independent Album Breakers Chart Top 20 Archive 16 September 2016 - 22 September 2016". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  37. ^ "Local Natives – Billboard Top Album Sales". Billboard. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
  38. ^ "Local Natives – Chart History: Rock Album Sales". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  39. ^ "Local Natives – Chart History: Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  40. ^ "iTunes Session by Local Natives on Apple Music". Apple Music (US). Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  41. ^ "Local Natives Chart History: Adult Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  42. ^ "Local Natives Chart History: Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  43. ^ "Local Natives Chart History: Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  44. ^ "Local Natives Chart History: Canada Rock". Billboard. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  45. ^ "Local Natives Chart History: Mexico Ingles Airplay". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  46. ^ Peaks in UK Physical Singles Chart:
  47. ^ "Fountain of Youth (30 Days, 30 Songs) [Live] - Single by Local Natives on Apple Music". Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  48. ^ "Nova - Single by Local Natives on Apple Music". Apple Music (US). Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  49. ^ "Dark Days (feat. Sylvan Esso) on Apple Music". Apple Music (US). Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  50. ^ "Local Natives – Chart History: Rock Airplay". Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  51. ^ "Francesca / Weekends - Single by Classixx & Local Natives on Apple Music". Apple Music (US). Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  52. ^ "Statues in the Garden (Arras) on Apple Music". Apple Music (US). Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  53. ^ "Lemon (feat. Sharon Van Etten)". Apple Music (US). Retrieved June 17, 2021.

External links[]

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