Origins is a recurring series that gives artists a space to break down everything that went into their latest release. Today, Local Natives dig into their emotional new track, “Paradise.”
It was 2021, live music had just returned, and Local Natives were set to take the stage at Los Angeles’ Greek Theater. As this writer can attest, the show was brilliant — but little did we know there was some serious anguish bubbling up in the band, and that 2021 show was almost their last.
Thankfully, Local Natives found their way together, and are now gearing up for the release of Time Will Wait for No One, their fifth studio album and their first since 2019’s Violet Street. A little over a week before the album’s release on July 7th comes “Paradise,” the most recent slice of Time Will Wait for No One after this year’s “Just Before The Morning” and “NYE.”
“Paradise,” which is led by co-lead vocalist Kelcey Ayer, is one of those Local Natives tracks with an unavoidable heartbeat. Throughout the pandemic and recording of Time Will Wait for No One, Ayer and his wife experienced multiple miscarriages and found themselves grappling with loss and ensuing depression. On “Paradise,” he circles around these harsh truths, wondering how the world continues to turn amidst the chaos and likening it to “paradise on fire.”
The song is initially resigned to be a moving, somber turn, but around the two-and-a-half minute mark, the band arrives in full force, backing Ayer as if to say, “Paradise is on fire, but we’re here, and it’s okay.” The final words uttered by Ayer are that of a hopeful promise: “I know our day will come/ I know our day will come.” As the closing track on Time Will Wait for No One, it’s a comforting place to end on — even if the darkest clouds above you feel inescapable, the winding road to paradise will reveal itself in time.
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Listen to Local Natives’ “Paradise” below, and read on for Kelcey Ayer’s breakdown of the song’s Origins.
Pre-orders for Time Will Wait for No One are ongoing. In support of the album, Local Natives are headed out on a US tour; tickets are available here.
