Local Natives

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Local Natives
Localnatives sxsw2010.JPG
Local Natives on stage at SXSW on March 20th, 2010.
Background information
Origin Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California
Genres Indie rock, Indie pop
Years active 2005-present
Labels Frenchkiss, Infectious
Website thelocalnatives.com
Members Taylor Rice
Kelcey Ayer
Ryan Hahn
Matt Frazier
Past members

Andy Hamm
Chris "McGahee" Filley

Local Natives (previously known as Cavil at Rest) are an indie rock band based in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, USA. 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 in the Billboard 200 and at No. 3 in the New Artist Chart. Local Natives were at many times mentioned to be a "band who knows how to groove."[2]

Their sound has been described as "afropop-influenced guitars with hyperactive drumming and hooky three-part harmonies".[3] Clash Music has also described their style as psych folk, or new fangled folk.

Contents

History [edit]

Beginnings and Gorilla Manor (2008-2010) [edit]

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.[4]

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.[4]

Everything the band creates comes from a complete collaboration between their members, from songwriting to artwork.[4] 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.” [4]

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,[5] as well as "sort of a West Coast Grizzly Bear."[6] 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 [7]

Andy Hamm's departure and Hummingbird (2011-present) [edit]

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."[8]

At Lollapalooza the band announced that they built a new studio and are working on completing their second full length album, Hummingbird, which was released January 29, 2013.[9] 'Hummingbird' was produced by the National's Aaron Dessner, and though it has 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 have come in the last few years since their debut.[10] Since 2012, the band has been joined with Nik Ewing as their touring bassist. [11]

Line-up [edit]

Current

  • Taylor Rice - guitar, vocals, bass
  • Kelcey Ayer - vocals, keyboards, percussion, guitar
  • Ryan Hahn - guitar, keyboards, mandolin, vocals
  • Matt Frazier - drums

Touring Members

  • Nik Ewing - bass (2012-present)[12]

Former

  • Andy Hamm - bass guitar (2006-2011)

Discography [edit]

Albums [edit]

Singles [edit]

  • Sun Hands - (2009)
  • Camera Talk - (2009)
  • Airplanes - (2010)
  • Wide Eyes - (2010)
  • Who Knows Who Cares - (2010)
  • World News - (2010)
  • Breakers - (2012)
  • Heavy Feet - (2013)

References [edit]

  1. ^ Metacritic: Gorilla Manor by Local Natives
  2. ^ "Local Natives Debut On Billboard Top 200 & No. 3 On New Artist Chart". AltSounds. 24/02/10. 
  3. ^ "Local Natives Sign to Frenchkiss". Pitchfork. 30/11/09. 
  4. ^ a b c d Frenchkiss Records Band Profile: Local Natives
  5. ^ Lester, Paul (03/06/09). "New Band Of The Day". London: The Guardian. Retrieved May 11, 2010. 
  6. ^ "Album Reviews: Local Natives: Gorilla Manor". Pitchfork. 02/15/10. 
  7. ^ "Local Natives add headline shows to first Australian tour". Triple J. 11/18/10. 
  8. ^ "Unfortunate News". Local Natives. 03/18/11. 
  9. ^ "Lollapalooza Sun Hands Performance". 
  10. ^ http://exclaim.ca/Interviews/FromTheMagazine/local_natives-growth_spurt
  11. ^ "Local Natives' Big Vaulted Ceilings". 
  12. ^ "Local Natives in Concert : NPR". 

External links [edit]

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Local_Natives&oldid=556411226"