In special cases we have the opportunity to speak with artists who genuinely make us buzz with excitement. For years now, I've avidly watched the happening's of LA based boys, Local Natives and when told I was able to have a chat with them, it was absolutely one of the aforementioned instances. My fan girl-ing aside, these folk have ridiculous talent and are responsible for a sound that, in my humble opinion, is down-right spectacular. Their sounds evoke emotion and if you haven't already, take a moment to experience the tight harmonies, rhythmic beats and enchanting harmonies they champion.

With their mind-blowing sophomore release, Hummingbird, dropping earlier this year the band are currently on the road playing to sold out crowds all around the globe. Last month they visited Aus (and word on the street is that the guys will be back in town in the coming months so if you missed them then, don't fret!) and whilst they were in town we spent some time with frontman, (and all-round lovely) Taylor, who told us all about being a Local Native.

I’ve got to say, Hummingbird is pretty spectacular. Can you tell me a bit about how it came to be?

It was written mostly in Silverlake in a tiny bungalow studio we built out and basically lived in for 8 months. The songs are more expansive and personal for us, they come from the last two years we've had together, which were really incredible but also had some really difficult moments. 

Do you have a favourite track from the album and if so, what is the story behind the song?

Ceilings is one of my favorite songs. Part of that is because it came together so fast in more of a burst of inspiration. We are notorious to mould and push songs around for months, taking them in dozens of directions until they feel like they fit, but Ceilings came together in a writing session we did in a dome rented in Joshua tree, a huge desert a couple hours south of LA. The song is about where the hours at night when you aren't able to sleep take you. 

What does your writing process generally entail?

One of us will come to the others with some sort of soul of the song. We play with this together until usually some inspiration branches the song into another direction, which is usually wielded to the original. Normally, the song will hit a wall, or maybe a couple, when we usually try to throw the rule book out the window again and take it somewhere new. From beginning to end, a local natives song has usually lived many lives and taken many forms, and we know we're done when all of us feel great about it. Sometimes that takes months, in rare moments in can take days or hours. 

What would you say inspires the music you create?

I think music is best when you get out of it's way and try to use your mind less and your emotion more. The songs that mean the most always come from the most personal place, but taking them to a band context always makes them much more complex and interesting. 

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Little Dragon, Nick Cave's new record, the new National record. 

Considering you’ve been playing and touring together for quite a while now, I’d imagine there have been some pretty special band moments – any stories worth sharing? Has there been a highlight from your time together?

What's crazy about being in a band is that the other members are sort of more entangled with you than happens in any other place in society. You create together, you live together, travel together, you're business partners, your life decisions have to be largely made together. I think the closest thing it can be thought of is an adult adopted family. One of the best experiences we've ever had together was playing at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles with a full orchestra. Playing together that night alone would probably bond us for life. 

What would you say has been your greatest musical memory? 

The most recent greatest musical memory I have was seeing Grinderman at Coachella. The tent was pretty empty, but nick cave was so intense and incredible, and everybody there was so enraptured by the band. That was the most inspiring live performance I have seen for years. 

Is there a ‘wildest band moment’ worth sharing?

hmmm, not sure they'd be fit to print. Suffice it to say that touring for three months straight leaves a bottle shaken enough to sort of go off when it's finally opened. 

If you could perform one song on stage with any other artist in the world, who would it be and why? 

I'd love to sing with nick cave and the bad seeds on the song Push The Sky Away. I think it's so beautiful, and he's playing lots of festivals we are now so....you never know, but I'll bump into him at catering and convince him. 

Complete the sentence, “I’ll know I’ve made it when...”

We play the Hollywood Bowl in los angeles. I've had many a religious experience there, and that would be the ultimate achievement in LA.