Music

Alt Corner #2: Natives

It seems to me that the lack of alternative music covered on this site is depressingly thin. Having grown up in a rock-loving community, where small alternative bands have thrived for years, this depresses me. And so, Alt. Corner is born. Every week I’ll be recommending an alternative rock band for you to listen to, ranging from colossuses of the underground scene to unsigned groups who are destined for something bigger. This week, I’ll be looking at…

 

Natives

When up-and-coming British pop-rockers Not Advised announced on their Twitter feed that they were breaking up, I was disappointed. It’s not often that you can witness the rise of a young, small, energetic band with an incredibly future, and when I heard 2010’s mini-album ‘After the Fight’, boasting flu-level infectious melodies and sing-along choruses, I really did think that I would see something special from them, and what’s more have the satisfaction of knowing that I knew about them before everyone else. But, like many of the most promising young bands around them – Francesqa, Out of Sight, and Futures – they fell by the wayside.

So you can imagine my relief when ‘Natives’ popped up, seemingly out of nowhere! Although they may have a new name, a tweaked sound and a forthcoming album produced by John Feldmann (The Used, Papa Roach, Panic! at the Disco to name but a few), Natives have very much continued in the same vain as Not Advised left off. Their sound is still distinct, and similar to that of their old moniker, but like a cleansing fire the birth of Natives has provided the New Forest quintet with a new opportunity, a new approach and a new lease of life, all of which they have seized by the horns and seem to reluctant to let go of.

Their first single ‘Big Plans’ may not have been overwhelming, but it was a statement of intent. Start as you mean to continue, I say, and given the strength of their start I can’t wait to see what they have in store a little ways down the road. They have since released two more successful singles from their debut EP ‘Stand for Something’, including the anthemic title track and the sun-drenched gem ‘This Island’, and they have unofficially released a short, two-minute acoustic/live track entitled ‘Church’ – a stripped-down, sombre yet rousing piece that shows the diversity that Native shave to offer, and I’ll be hoping to see more of this when their full-length album is finally released.

Natives are one of the most exciting prospects that the alternative scene has to offer right now, and while many may look upon contemporary pop-rock more as a strength of American bands, Natives are proving that Britain can do it just as well. With an upcoming tour beginning in March next year, a highly-anticipated debut album and unlimited potential, Natives will be a mainstay of radio playlists before long.

Listen to: ‘This Island’, ‘Church’.

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