Local Natives collaborate with Sylvan Esso and share playlist

Los Angeles indie rock band Local Natives have certainly made their hometown proud with a decade plus career spent recording and crisscrossing the globe for must-see tours. Four full-length albums in and countless crowds lit up by their signature raucous performances — it should come as no surprise that they have been active during the quarantine period.

Today, they’ve shared a reworked version of “Dark Days” from their album Sunlit Youth. This version finds them joined by Sylvan Esso’s Amelia Meath for a new verse, as they hone in on a distinct Southern California youthful nostalgia.

Additionally, bassist Nik Ewing provided us with a playlist of tracks that he’s been turning to during this time. Listen to the mix below and read about his inspiration behind the playlist.

From Nik:

“These songs embrace the sadness from feeling isolated and lonely. Hearing other artists sing or express these emotions strangely puts me at ease. I suppose it’s because I'm connecting with another human being for the 3:30 duration of the song length. There are songs about holding your baby and songs connecting math, as if there is deeper significance right below the surface of the lyrics. I'm guessing Moses intended his song "Me in 20 Years" to be about where his (love)life might be in two decades, but I can't help but connect to the lyrics and wonder what looking back at this strange time in 20 years will be like.”

For more Local Natives, revisit their excellent MBE performance from 2019 in support of their album Violet Street.