Local Natives Explained

Local Natives
Alias:Cavil at Rest
Background:group_or_band
Origin:Orange County, California, U.S.
Genre:Indie rock
Years Active:2005–present
Label:Frenchkiss, Infectious, Loma Vista
Current Members:
  • Taylor Rice
  • Kelcey Ayer
  • Ryan Hahn
  • Matthew Frazier
  • Nik Ewing
Past Members:Andy Hamm

Local Natives is an American indie rock band formed in Orange County, California, and based in Los Angeles. The band consists of Taylor Rice (vocals, guitar), Kelcey Ayer (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Ryan Hahn (guitar, backing vocals), Matthew Frazier (drums) and Nik Ewing (bass, keyboards, vocals). Before taking its current name in 2008, Local Natives was called Cavil at Rest.

Named after the house the band members all shared in Orange County, the band's debut studio album, Gorilla Manor, was released in 2009 to positive reviews and extensive touring. Their second studio album, Hummingbird (2013), was recorded with producer Aaron Dessner, with its lyrical content influenced by the departure of founding bass guitarist Andy Hamm and the recent death Ayer's mother. Their third album, Sunlit Youth, was released in September 2016 and their fourth, Violet Street, was released in April 2019.

After a period of personal turmoil, the band recorded their fifth and sixth studio albums, Time Will Wait for No One (2023) and But I'll Wait for You (2024), concurrently. Following their release, Kelcey Ayer announced his amicable departure from the band.

History

2005–2011: Formation and Gorilla Manor

See main article: Gorilla Manor. The band originates from Orange County, California, where Taylor Rice, Ryan Hahn and Kelcey Ayer grew up near each other.[1] [2] Rice and Hahn began playing guitar together in junior high school.[3] Ayer attended a private Catholic high school,[4] while Rice and Hahn attended Tesoro High School in Las Flores. In 2001, during their sophomore year at Tesoro, Rice and Hahn formed the group Cavil at Rest.[5] The group went through several incarnations and Ayer began playing music with them in his senior year. In 2004, the lineup consisted of Rice, Hahn, Ayer, Chris Filley, Andy Savage and Mike Rosenbaum.[6] Throughout college, the group played music and sang together.

The band coalesced with the addition of bassist Andy Hamm in 2005, and drummer Matthew Frazier in 2006.[7] Cavil at Rest opened for Jimmy Eat World at Firestone Fieldhouse in fall 2005.[8] Hahn graduated from Pepperdine University.[9] Rice was a communications studies student at UCLA. Ayer, who was attending San Francisco State University, transferred to UCLA, but after Rice graduated in 2008, he dropped out in order for them to focus on Local Natives full-time.[10] In the summer of 2008, the band changed its name to Local Natives and started work on their debut album.[11] Except for Hamm, all of the members were living together in a duplex in Orange. In December 2008,[12] they all moved into a house in Silver Lake.

Everything the band creates comes from a complete collaboration between their members, from songwriting to artwork.[13] 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." 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. The third track on Gorilla Manor, "Sun Hands", first appeared on the Cavil at Rest album Orion Way.[14]

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,[15] as well as "sort of a West Coast Grizzly Bear."[16]

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[17]

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."[18]

2012–2013: Hummingbird

See main article: Hummingbird (Local Natives album). 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.[19] 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.[20]

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.[21]

2014–2018: Sunlit Youth

See 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.[22]

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."[23] In May 2016, the band premiered the first songs from the album live.[24]

The album Sunlit Youth was released on September 9, 2016.[25] The single "I Saw You Close Your Eyes" was released on March 23, 2017,[26] followed by another one-off single on May 19, 2017, "The Only Heirs", a collaboration with Nico Segal.[27]

On September 22, 2017, Kelcey released his debut solo album, Tasha Sits Close to the Piano, under the name Jaws of Love.[28] 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.[29]

2019–2020: Violet Street and Sour Lemon

See main article: Violet Street and Sour Lemon. 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.[30] Violet Street was released on April 26, 2019, and received generally positive reviews, garnering a 7.2 by Pitchfork's Ian Cohen.[31] 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.

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.

2021–present: Time Will Wait for No One and But I'll Wait for You

See main article: Time Will Wait for No One and But I'll Wait for You. In November 2021, the band released the covers EP Music from the Pen Gala 1983, which the band recorded for the Apple TV+ series The Shrink Next Door. It features covers of songs by Roxy Music, Michael McDonald, 10cc, and Gerry Rafferty. The band also starred in an episode of the series as a cover band at the titular Pen Gala.[32]

On 14 August 2021, as they were halfway through creating their fifth album, the band performed at Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Their first live performance in almost two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the band called it "one of the most emotional concerts of our lives". It occurred as members were confronting parenthood, isolation, loss, and identity crisis. After the performance, the band felt unsure of their future and were "on the verge of a collapse".[33] [34] Experiencing their longest separation since they formed, the members were forced to redefine how to work together again. They worked toward developing deeper trust and honesty. As a result, the band found themselves in a prolific period where they wrote more music than they ever have before.[35] Recorded with producers John Congleton, Michael Harris, and Danny Reisch, Time Will Wait for No One was released on July 7, 2023.[36]

The band released a follow-up studio album, called But I'll Wait for You, on April 19, 2024. Recorded during the same sessions as Time Will Wait for No One, Local Natives described it as "the second half of a large body of music we made together, the first half we shared last year with Time Will Wait for No One. It's a companion piece. A sister album. Maybe not an answer to a question, but an exhale to an inhale. So little is in our control, but among all this chaos we can choose to be there for each other. Thank you again to John Congleton, Michael Harris, and Danny Reisch, the incredibly talented producers who helped us bring these songs into their fully realized selves."[37] [38]

On April 29, 2024, the band announced the amicable departure of Kelcey Ayer. However, Ayer will remain with the group for the last phase of their touring in support of these albums. In an Instagram post, Ayer indicated his admiration for the band and his desire to find the time and space in his life for new things. However, he also added: "Life is long, and who knows, maybe I'll be LN's John Frusciante, but for now I'll say this is not the end of Local Natives or the end of me."[39] On June 11, 2024, Nik announced his second solo album, a collection of minimal piano songs written for his first child. [40] Ryan announced his debut solo project the Heavy Palms EP on July 12, 2024.[41]

Members

Current

Former

Gallery

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

Title! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"
DetailsPeak chart positions
US
[43]
US
Rock
[44]
AUS
Hit.
[45]
BEL
(FL)

[46]
BEL
(WA)

[47]
IRL
[48]
NED
[49]
SWE
[50]
UK
[51]
UK
Indie

[52]
Gorilla Manor 160 47 51 72 30
Hummingbird
  • Released: January 29, 2013
  • Label: Infectious, Frenchkiss
12 4 19 23 91 32 60 56 58 6
Sunlit Youth 23 8 16 86 92 165 11
Violet Street
  • Released: April 26, 2019
  • Label: Loma Vista
Time Will Wait for No One
  • Released: July 7, 2023
  • Label: Loma Vista Recordings/Concord Music Group
But I'll Wait for You
  • Released: April 19, 2024
  • Label: Loma Vista Recordings/Concord Music Group
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

EPs

Title! scope="col" style="width:18em;"
Details
Sour Lemon
Music from the Pen Gala 1983
ICYMI: CSLMI
  • Released: April 26, 2022
  • Label: UME - Global Clearing House

Live albums

Title! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"
DetailsPeak chart positions
US
Indie

[53]
iTunes Session 39

Singles

Title! scope="col" rowspan="2"
YearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
US
AAA

[55]
US
Alt.

[56]
US
Rock
[57]
BEL
(FL)
Tip

CAN
Rock

[58]
MEX
Air.

[59]
UK
Sales

[60]
"Sun Hands"2009Gorilla Manor
"Camera Talk"94
"Airplanes"201024 52
"Wide Eyes"31
"Who Knows Who Cares"
"World News"
"Breakers"201238 43 50Hummingbird
"Heavy Feet"201374 54
"You & I"30
"Ceilings"56
"Past Lives"2016Sunlit Youth
"Villainy"
"Fountain of Youth"
"Coins"
"Fountain of Youth (live)"[61] 30 Days, 50 Songs
"Ultralight Beam"rowspan="3"
"I Saw You Close Your Eyes"2017
"The Only Heirs"
"When Am I Gonna Lose You"20195 7 17 45 Violet Street
"Café Amarillo"
"Tap Dancer"
"Megaton Mile"
"Nova"[62] rowspan="3"
"Dark Days"[63]
202018
"Francesca" / "Weekends"[64]
"Statues in the Garden (Arras)"[65] Sour Lemon
"Lemon"[66]
2021
"Desert Snow" / "Hourglass"[67] 2022Time Will Wait for No One
"Just Before the Morning"[68] 16
"NYE"[69] 202332
"Paradise"[70]
"April"2024But I'll Wait for You
"Alpharetta"
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Notes

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Purcell. Andrew. Local Natives: clockwork from Orange County. 2010-11-11. The Guardian. 2020-03-26. en-GB. 0261-3077.
  2. Web site: Local Natives: From high school rock band to selling out theaters. Radio. Southern California Public. 2016-09-14. Southern California Public Radio. 2020-03-26.
  3. October 21, 2010. Interview: Local Natives. 34th Street Magazine. July 25, 2023.
  4. Web site: Poetic Memory: Local Natives (List). www.owlandbear.com. September 2, 2009 . July 25, 2023.
  5. News: August 28, 2007. Orange Pop: Cavil at Rest isn't taking it easy. The Orange County Register. July 25, 2023.
  6. Web site: The Battle Of The Imports To Feature Live Performance Showcase With The Hottest Bands From California This Saturday Night At Famoso Raceway . carsound.com . June 9, 2004 . July 25, 2023 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20040823054356/https://carsound.com/articles/publish/printer_57.shtml . August 23, 2004.
  7. Capó-García. Paola. December 7, 2009. Local Natives. Bomb. November 21, 2023. We've been a band for four years and we changed our name to Local Natives a year and a half ago..
  8. News: Maloney. Britney. February 9, 2006. Cavil at Rest squeaks out a win. The Graphic. Pepperdine University. July 25, 2023.
  9. Capó-García. Paola. December 7, 2009. Local Natives. Bomb. July 24, 2023. I graduated from Pepperdine [University] and Taylor went to UCLA. Kelcey [Ayer] went [to UCLA] for a semester.
  10. News: Meschke. Katie. April 5, 2009. Indie group back with new name, ambition. Daily Bruin. July 24, 2023.
  11. News: Moe. Jackie. Peralta. Jessica. September 26, 2008. Turn It Up: A vocally-driven indie rock group, Local Natives is harmonizing in more ways than one. Listen to a song clip from their debut album.. The Orange County Register. July 24, 2023.
  12. Eln. Sofi. December 7, 2009. Introducing... Local Natives. Gigwise. July 24, 2023.
  13. Web site: Frenchkiss Records . Frenchkiss Records . January 29, 2013 . July 12, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121127171231/http://frenchkissrecords.com/bands/profile/local_natives/ . November 27, 2012 .
  14. Hudson. Cody. May 2010. Local Natives: The Dutch Love Them And You Will Too. SLUG Magazine. 21. 257. 36. July 25, 2023.
  15. News: New Band Of The Day. The Guardian. June 3, 2009. London. Paul. Lester. May 11, 2010.
  16. Web site: Album Reviews: Local Natives: Gorilla Manor. Pitchfork.com. February 15, 2010. July 12, 2015.
  17. Web site: Local Natives add headline shows to first Australian tour. Abc.net.au. November 18, 2010. July 12, 2015.
  18. Web site: Unfortunate News. Outtasightblog.tumblr.com. March 18, 2011. July 12, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20110823220046/http://outtasightblog.tumblr.com/post/3948291807/unfortunate-news. August 23, 2011.
  19. Web site: Lollapalooza Sun Hands Performance. Youtube.com. July 12, 2015.
  20. Web site: Lau . Melody . Local Natives Growth Spurt . Exclaim.ca . February 25, 2013 . July 12, 2015.
  21. Web site: Local Natives' Big Vaulted Ceilings. Laweekly.com. July 12, 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131012024809/http://www.laweekly.com/2013-01-24/music/local_natives_hummingbird_aaron_dessner_national/full/. October 12, 2013.
  22. Web site: Staring At Our Ceilings: Local Natives Come to Salt Lake City. August 8, 2014 . Saltartists.com. July 12, 2015.
  23. Web site: Local Natives Return to the Present With New Single "Past Lives" — TRANSVERSO . Transversomedia.com . April 29, 2016 . May 18, 2017.
  24. Web site: We Caught the First Preview of Local Natives' New Album at a Surprise LA Show - Noisey. noisey. May 15, 2016 . en-us. September 13, 2016.
  25. News: Local Natives: Sunlit Youth review – clever but overpolished indie. Mongredien. Phil. September 11, 2016. The Guardian. en-GB. 0261-3077. September 13, 2016.
  26. Web site: Minsker . Evan . Local Natives' New Song Will Only Play If You Close Your Eyes . Pitchfork . March 23, 2017 . January 14, 2019.
  27. Havens . Lyndsey . Local Natives Drop Gleaming New Track 'The Only Heirs' With Nico Segal: Listen . Billboard . January 14, 2019.
  28. Web site: Helman . Peter . Jaws Of Love. (Local Natives' Kelcey Ayer) – "Jaws Of Love." . Stereogum . July 20, 2017 . January 14, 2019.
  29. Stutz . Colin . Local Natives Side Project Chewing Announces Dennis Wilson Cover Album, Shares New Tracks: Premiere . Billboard . January 14, 2019.
  30. Web site: Bloom . Madison . Local Natives Announce New Album, Share New Video Starring Kate Mara: Watch . . March 11, 2019 . March 8, 2019.
  31. Web site: Cohen . Ian . Local Natives: Violet Street . Pitchfork . Condé Nast . May 31, 2019 . en.
  32. Web site: Local Natives share new covers EP 'Music From The Pen Gala 1983'. Lavin. Will. November 21, 2021. NME. July 25, 2023.
  33. Web site: Local Natives Bring Music Back to The Greek Theatre 8/14/21. Tel-Oren. Ilana. May 17, 2021. music.mxdwn.com. July 25, 2023.
  34. Murray. Robin. May 10, 2023. Local Natives Detail New LP 'Time Will Wait For No One'. Clash. July 25, 2023.
  35. Wollen. Miranda. July 6, 2023. Local Natives, Back From the Brink. Paste. July 25, 2023.
  36. Redfern. Mark. July 7, 2023. Local Natives – Stream the New Album "Time Will Wait For No One". Under the Radar. July 25, 2023.
  37. Web site: New song/video April out now. New album "But I'll Wait For You" out April 19.. March 25, 2024. Instagram. March 25, 2024.
  38. Web site: Local Natives Announce New Album But I'll Wait For You, Share New Single "April": Stream. Ragusa. Paolo. March 25, 2024. Consequence. March 26, 2024.
  39. Web site: Local Natives Announce Departure Of Co-Founder Kelcey Ayer, Cover Adrianne Lenker For SiriusXMU. Breihan. Tom. April 30, 2024. Stereogum. April 30, 2024.
  40. Web site: Nik Ewing of Local Natives Announces Second Album as Chewing, Drops Two New Songs. Schube. Will. June 12, 2024. Flood Magazine. June 12, 2024.
  41. Web site: Excited to announce my debut solo EP “Heavy Palms” comes out on August 23. The first song “Marcella” is out today.. July 12, 2024. Instagram. July 12, 2024.
  42. Web site: Local Natives in Concert : NPR. Npr.org. July 12, 2015.
  43. Local Natives – Chart History: Billboard 200 . . May 21, 2019.
  44. Local Natives – Chart History: Rock Albums . . June 17, 2021.
  45. Peaks on the ARIA Hitseeker chart:
    • Hummingbird: Web site: ARIA Report: Issue 1198. https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20130219040347/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20130219-1428/Issue1198.pdf. dead. February 19, 2023. ARIA. November 13, 2023.
    • Sunlit Youth: Web site: ARIA Report: Issue 1236. https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20160920223331/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20160920-0001/Issue1386.pdf. dead. September 21, 2016. ARIA. November 17, 2023.
  46. Web site: Discografie Local Natives . ultratop.be . Hung Medien . May 21, 2019 . nl.
  47. Web site: Discografie Local Natives . ultratop.be . Hung Medien . May 21, 2019 . fr.
  48. Web site: Discography Local Natives . irish-charts.com . Hung Medien . May 21, 2019.
  49. Web site: nl. Local Natives MegaCharts. MegaCharts / Dutchcharts . May 21, 2019 .
  50. Web site: Discography Local Natives . swedishcharts.com . Hung Medien . May 21, 2019.
  51. Web site: Official Charts - Local Natives . . May 21, 2019 . select "Albums" tab.
  52. Peaks on the UK Independent Albums Chart:
  53. Local Natives – Chart History: Independent Albums . . May 21, 2019.
  54. Web site: iTunes Session by Local Natives on Apple Music. Apple Music (US). June 17, 2021.
  55. Local Natives Chart History: Adult Alternative Songs . . May 21, 2019.
  56. Local Natives Chart History: Alternative Songs . Billboard . August 13, 2019.
  57. Local Natives Chart History: Rock Songs . Billboard . May 21, 2019.
  58. Local Natives Chart History: Canada Rock . Billboard . December 30, 2019.
  59. Local Natives Chart History: Mexico Ingles Airplay . Billboard . May 21, 2019.
  60. Peaks in UK Physical Singles Chart:
  61. Web site: Fountain of Youth (30 Days, 30 Songs) [Live] - Single by Local Natives on Apple Music]. June 24, 2020.
  62. Web site: Nova - Single by Local Natives on Apple Music. Apple Music (US). June 3, 2020.
  63. Web site: Dark Days (feat. Sylvan Esso) on Apple Music. Apple Music (US). June 3, 2020.
  64. Web site: Francesca / Weekends - Single by Classixx & Local Natives on Apple Music. Apple Music (US). June 17, 2021.
  65. Web site: Statues in the Garden (Arras) on Apple Music. Apple Music (US). June 17, 2021.
  66. Web site: Lemon (feat. Sharon Van Etten). Apple Music (US). June 17, 2021.
  67. Web site: Local Natives Share Dual Singles "Desert Snow" and "Hourglass": Stream. Consequence of Sound. July 22, 2022 . December 7, 2022.
  68. Web site: Local Natives Share Sleek New Single "Just Before the Morning": Stream. Consequence of Sound. October 12, 2022 . December 7, 2022.
  69. Web site: Local Natives Share New Song "NYE": Listen. Stereogum. May 9, 2023 . June 21, 2023.
  70. Carter. Daisy. June 27, 2023. Local Natives announce new single 'Paradise'. DIY. July 25, 2023.