Local Natives have continued their run of new music in 2020, sharing the Sharon Van Etten-featuring single “Lemon” from their newly-announced EP.
Arriving today, the acoustic-led number sees vocalist Taylor Rice trading off verses with Van Etten, offering a song almost custom-built for the year that has been as it speaks to those who long for a connection in an isolating year and find beauty in the small, domestic moments that only space-sharing lovers can experience.
The track comes accompanied by a poignant music video which sees Rice and Van Etten directed by Kenny Laubbacher as they walk along the LA River, crossing paths ever so briefly.
“From the time we started writing to recording to shooting the video, I had moved to LA, Taylor had a child who is now 10 1/2 months, and Ryan is now engaged,” Van Etten explained of her involvement in the process.
“I connected with the song at each stage: collaborating and getting to know each other, receiving their openness and generosity, recording the song and feeling the camaraderie and accepted as a part of the band, to shooting the video and reciprocating the longing and connection.
“Our friendship and our lives have grown since we first met, and this is a documentation of that.”
Recoreded with producer Chris Coady at Sunset Sound in late 2019, the new track is the second single released from the group in as many months, with both “Lemon” and “Statues in The Garden (Arras)” set to appear on the forthcoming four-track EP, Sour Lemon.
Set to arrive on Friday, October 23rd, the EP originally began from writing sessions that held no particular end goal in mind, only to have the songs emerge from their sessions fully formed.
“We’re always working on new music, but songs tend to come at their own pace,” the group explained. “There’s something freeing about writing without the goal of an album in mind. It feels like waking up for class only to realise that it’s Saturday and you can sleep in as long as you want.
“The songs on Sour Lemon each have their own long histories but they all finally decided to arrive at the same time. Rather than waiting, we decided to share them as soon as we could.”
To celebrate the release of their new EP, Local Natives are also set to perform a special livestream concert at 9am AEST on Saturday, October 24th, with tickets available now.
Local Natives’ “Lemon” is out now, while their Sour Lemon EP will be released on Friday, October 23rd via via Loma Vista Recordings, with a physical vinyl pressing set to arrive in November.
