Local Natives

Local Natives, an American indie rock band, originated in Orange County, California, and is now based in Los Angeles. The band was formed in 2005. The current lineup includes Taylor Rice (vocals, guitar), Ryan Hahn (guitar, backing vocals), Matthew Frazier (drums), and Nik Ewing (bass, keyboards, vocals). Before adopting the name Local Natives in 2008, the group performed under the name Cavil at Rest.

The band members, growing up near each other in Orange County, California, began their musical journey in junior high school. Rice and Hahn started playing guitar together, with Kelcey Ayer joining them in their senior year. The group experienced several early iterations. The definitive lineup solidified with the addition of bassist Andy Hamm in 2005 and drummer Matthew Frazier in 2006. They garnered early recognition by opening for Jimmy Eat World at Firestone Fieldhouse in fall 2005. After all members began living together in Orange, California, and later in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, they officially changed their name to Local Natives in summer 2008 and commenced work on their debut album, “Gorilla Manor.” The band emphasizes collaborative creation across all aspects of their work, from songwriting to artwork.

Their debut album, “Gorilla Manor,” released in 2009, was named after their shared Orange County residence where much of the album’s material was created. The album was self-funded and recorded in Raymond Richards’ Red Rockets Glare Studio. It quickly attracted critical attention following their nine-show performance at the 2009 SXSW festival, drawing comparisons to bands like Arcade Fire and Fleet Foxes. This success led to extensive touring, including a European tour and their Australian debut at St Jerome’s Laneway Festival in 2011. The band saw a lineup change with the amicable departure of bassist Andy Hamm in March 2011. Nik Ewing joined as their touring bassist in 2012 and was announced as an official member in October 2013, contributing to their subsequent albums.