If you know me, as my friends do, you know that I hold Local Natives dear to my heart. They were one of the first bands that I posted on that experienced great success. It was a great to watch them grow as a band, and experience worldwide success. It’s been a few years since we have heard from the band, but now it looks like the guys are jumping into phase two.
Earlier in the week, they surprised us all by posting a new photo of themselves (posted above), officially marking a return. No other details were shared – just the glimmering hope that new music was hiding over the horizon. Well, that all changed today as Pitchfork posted an interview that they did with the band. And yes, the band has recorded the new album. It’s due out sometime early next year.
The band recorded the album in in Brooklyn, recording the album in the studio of The National’s Aaron Dessner, who went on to co-produce the new album. The album deals with the heartbreak of losing loved ones, as well as band members. Last year the band shifted into a 4-piece, after a “heartbreaking split” with bassist Andy Hamm. This ties in to the darker themes album, which Pitchfork went on to describe as “sharper, sleeker, and shadier”. A whiteboard full of written song titles give a gloomy mood (“flames”, “black”, “swamp”, “bones”).
The band know that they’ve come a long way since Gorilla Manor, and the records “heavier” sound shows it. They were conscious about avoiding overloading with drum breakdowns and harmonies on vocals. Kelcey explains, “We just wanted to make decisions that felt like they were benefiting the song, not just orchestration for the sake of orchestration.”
Pitchfork did a great job with this interview, and all fans should check it out. The band give a lot of insight into the new album, which wasn’t all shared here. There are also quite a bit of new studio photos.
2013 is looking good already.
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