10 Questions For: Natives

INTERVIEW

British music scene gifts us with some of the most talented artists and some of the most enjoyable songs Sounds European! is able to present. And we were very honored to be able to chat with one of our favorite names from the country. It was honest, deep and, as their music, very entertaining! These are our 10 questions for Jack Fairbrother, of Natives:

Sounds European!: Let's begin this interview talking about your history. How did you guys get to know each other? Who were your idols at that point? And how did you come up with the name of the band?

Jack Fairbrother (Natives): Myself, Andy [White, drums and percussion] and Greg [Day, bass] have been friends since school. We met Jim [Thomas, vocals] through the local band scene in our village when we were younger. My idols growing up were Noel Gallagher and Tom DeLonge. The band name came about after the end of our previous band. We wanted to take everything back to basics, back to the bones of what it's all about and where we had come from musically. Natives seemed to sum that up nicely. We also wanted a band name which was vague enough that people wouldn't judge us before listening.

SE!: You name your sound "tribal pop". Could you define what that means, and describe the style of your music? You are also very praised by your lyrics. What can you tell us about them? And how is your process of songwriting?

JF: It's always difficult to be objective about your own music, but I'd say we play alternative pop with a world music influence. I think our lyrics, particularly with the new album, are more in line with a theatre musical than traditional pop lyrics.
98% of the time, we write together at a studio in Buckinghamshire. Our approach is to soundtrack a narrative, rather than write our own diaries – although the concepts are definitely born through personal experiences. Even though people tend to naturally shift to specific roles, we try and write for instruments which we don't play individually – for instance, we encourage Andy, not being a guitarist, to write guitar parts and come up with ideas. He has no muscle memory on that instrument, and therefore will write with his ears and a new perspective. Sometimes that comes up with more interesting ideas than the person who has years of experience and habits playing an instrument a certain way. We'll then often hand the part back to the best player to finesse.

SE!: You have released one album so far. It was very well received by the public, and also by the critics. When you are making an album, do you think about either of them? Or do you focus on yourselves? Plus, how does it feel to have your music reach such recognition?

JF: Looking back now at the first album, I think subconsciously we did care about what people thought and, without realising or intending to, we were writing what we felt people wanted to hear. With the new album, which is out soon, it's been a conscious effort to just please ourselves as songwriters and, if people like what we've created, then that's a bonus! There's no denying it's nice when people praise something you've worked hard on, but the real satisfaction is in creating something completely uncompromised.

SE!: Your music has taken you to work abroad. What are some interesting places and situations you have lived on the road? Is there a location you dream of going, but haven't by now? And is it an objective of yours to keep expanding your music internationally?

JF: We've been very lucky in that respect. The top three experiences for us would be our trip to Morocco (where we learned so much about music and culture), our trip to Los Angeles to record for our first album (which felt like a childhood dream) and our trip to the Philippines (an incredible part of the world which we'd likely never have had the chance to see without music). We'd definitely like to see more of Africa – there's so much great music there which we'd love to experience first hand. We've also always wanted to visit Japan, hopefully we can do that on this album cycle. We're so influenced by world music that it's essential for our band to keep expanding internationally.

SE!: You have just finished an extensive tour with British band Busted. And you have also played alongside names such as Red Hot Chili Peppers and Empire of the Sun. What can you tell us about those experiences?

JF: All of those were very positive experiences – we absolutely love the challenge of supporting other bands, playing in front of an audience who probably has no idea who we are and making it our goal to entertain and convert them to Natives' fans. We've been lucky to play with a really wide variety of bands. You learn a lot from those situations – Empire of the Sun, for example, was a lesson in putting on a theatrical performance that anyone can enjoy, fan or first-timer.

"We're so influenced by world music that it's essential for our band to keep expanding internationally" (Picture: official Facebook page)

SE!: Talking more specifically about your experience with concerts. What does it mean, for you, to be on stage? What are your concerts like? How does it feel to perform and have your songs well received by the audiences?

JF: I love how personal performing live feels. So much of the way we connect these days is online – which is brilliant, because you reach so many people –, but nothing beats connecting with people face to face. I think our concerts are full of energy and fun. We want to send out a positive vibe. We hope than anyone can enjoy our show, whether they're a die hard fan or are watching us for the first time.

SE!: British music scene is one of the biggest ones in the world. What challenges have you faced while making music in such an extensive and competitive market? What would you say is your biggest differential?

JF: We try not to think about it like that. I don't want to think about our music as a product too much – I'm scared it will drain the life out of what we do. In our experience, we have the most success and, more importantly, happiness, when we just do what makes us happy and put it out there for people to see. That said, we're told all the time that people have never heard of or seen a band like us before, so I guess our world music influence and the percussive elements of the live show make us stand out.

SE!: We know you will soon start a new tour. What can you tell us about it? And what else can Natives' fans expect from you in the near future?

JF: We're really excited about our headline tour. We've done three tours in a row now supporting other bands, which we love, but it's a different experience – you're trying to give people an overview, a snapshot of your band in 30 minutes and win them over. With the headline tour, everyone has bought a ticket to come and see our show – they're familiar with the band, so we have the opportunity to delve far deeper into what Natives is all about and put that on show. Fans can expect a lot of new music from us, very soon!

SE!: Who would be some British and international artists you would like to tour, or maybe collaborate, with?

JF: Good question! Internationally, we'd love to collaborate with Ladysmith Black Mambazo – their vocals are incredible and I think we could make something really cool together. As far as British acts go, I think it would be fun to tour with Years & Years. I love diverse lineups and I don't think anyone would expect us to tour with a band like that, but I think their audience would enjoy Natives.

SE!: We would like to finish this interview with a song of yours. What is your favorite song by Natives, and why?

JF: I think "Chasing lions" is a good introduction to our band, so I'm going to say that. I think our band is quite sonically diverse, but this song does a good job of introducing you to what we're all about!