With the exception of a few one-off remixes and covers, Local Natives have kept a low profile since the release of 2013’s stellar album Hummingbird — that is, until this week. Following social media teasers and the last-minute announcement of an intimate San Francisco gig, the LA indie rockers have put out a brand new song called “Past Lives”.
Effervescent, busy percussion and lush harmonies highlight the track, with Local Natives operating in their comfort zone but pushing for something a little deeper. “Save me from the prime of my life,” they plead, before nifty guitar work and lustrous keys cut in around the 2:40 mark.
The band’s own Taylor Rice spoke about the track in a statement, 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.”
Stream “Past Lives” below.
While this is the first official release of “Past Lives”, the song has been played live in the past and featured in an episode of Netflix’s Flaked.
It’s unclear whether a new album is on the way, but the band has revamped its website, uploaded a new press photo (seen above), and reportedly played new material at last night’s Bay Area show. Local Natives are also scheduled to appear at a handful of festivals this summer, including Lollapalooza and End of the Road.
