Capturing the moment: Local Natives

See, saw: Swiss Alps photo stop, on the drive between Munich and Milan. Photo courtesy of Local Natives

L.A.-based Local Natives got their start in Orange County, Calif, where Taylor Rice (vocals/guitar), Kelcey Ayer (vocals/keys/percussion) and Ryan Hahn (vocals/guitar) went to high school together. These days, they live in the Silver Lake neighborhood, known for its wide range of ethnicities and social classes. And hipsters. All of which probably influenced Local Natives’ eclectic/artistic/rhythmic/sweet-yet-cool sound (completed by the addition of drummer Matt Frazier).

The band’s sophomore album, Hummingbird, debuted at No. 12 on Billboard’s Top 200; they recently performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and have been selling out shows across the country (including the Tuesday, March 19 stop at The Orange Peel).

Mountain Xpress: You all have great photos on your Facebook and Tumblr pages. Is someone in the band (or with the band) a photographer? Do you think about documenting this adventure that you’re on?
Taylor Rice:
Everyone’s a photographer with varying degrees of ability or talent. The photos come from all of us. It can be harder, but I think it’s more important to be in the moment and enjoy what is right in front of you than to document it. The opening line from [Atoms For Peace album] Amok is “look out of the window, what’s passing you by,” which seems poignant from the perspective of a traveling musician. We drove through the Swiss Alps today on our way to Milan on a perfect clear winter day. We did take some photos (which didn’t do much to capture it), but I was aware to take it in without trying to put it in a little digital box.

I’ve read that Silver Lake is ethnically and artistically eclectic — in what ways has that environment impacted your sound?
The culture of Silver Lake is creativity. Everyone is making something they want to share. It only strikes me as strange when I’m not in a place like that, [that] actually most people think it’s crazy to be creative rather than productive.

Was there an intimidation factor to recording your sophomore album? And what allowed you to go deeper with Hummingbird than with your debut, Gorilla Manor?
It was definitely strange to start writing with the subtext that there were people waiting to hear what we came up with. (It isn’t like that on your first record: you make it hoping someone will hear it.) We dealt with that by unplugging, stopping touring, and really isolating ourselves and experimenting. Hummingbird is a more expansive record because our lives expanded over the last two years. We had so many insanely incredible experiences together, like blinding euphoria, but we also had the hardest two years we’ve ever gone through.

You did your own artwork for Hummingbird. Does someone in the band have a background in visual art? And how did you decide on that particular image?
Matt’s day job was working as a graphic designer for magazines before we started touring full time. We all weigh in, though, and control the design of the band democratically, like how we make the music. The cover image was an accidental capturing of a moment of the four of us. Ryan took the photo, and then Kelcey, Matt and I are in it. We were climbing onto the roof of our practice space to take some photos and Kelcey almost fell off the edge trying to get up. It’s sort of like a metaphor for the record and where we were as a band making Hummingbird. There was a struggle, but we’re smiling through it, and came out feeling closer and happier than we ever have.

You recently announced UK tour dates. Any place that you’re especially looking forward to returning to, or a new place you’re excited about exploring?
Playing Brixton in London is like fulfilling a dream I’ve had since we first came over. London felt like a home away from home when we were touring with Gorilla Manor, so I feel like playing Brixton makes our hypothetical British parents very proud.

— Alli Marshall can be reached at amarshall@mountainx.com.

who: Local Natives with Superhumanoids
where: The Orange Peel
when: Tuesday, March 19 (8 p.m., sold out at press time. theorangepeel.net)

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.