Native Lights

“Supergroup” is a word that is sometimes carelessly thrown around on the local level, but one band that has most definitely earned the title is Native Lights. The new project is the collaboration of four musicians who have each in their own way found a niche with their day bands–Johnathon Ford, founder of the nationally recognized indie outfit Unwed Sailor, Bryce Chambers, frontman for dream-pop darling Ester Drang, Aaron Hamby, lead singer for local “it” band Callupsie, and Nathan Price, workaholic percussionist and resident drummer for Vandevander.
The band currently has one demo, entitled “El Rosa”, posted on their MySpace (myspace.com/nativelights). The song, originally written by Chambers, has the tell-tale hallmarks of each member. Ethereal vocals (sung by Chambers, who shares guitar and singing duties with Hamby) are complemented by haunting guitar melodies and a driving rhythm section (Ford on Bass and Price on drums) that brings to mind the dreamy otherworldliness of Ester Drang, the cinematic soundscapes of Unwed Sailor and the immediate catchiness of Callupsie. The track dovetails into an outro that unites the band members’ common infatuation with early ’80s post-punk and shoegazer.