Native Sun
Photo by, Daniel Topete
Meet Native Sun
If you don’t know Native Sun, well, now you know. This crew is giving rock a much needed kick in the pants, bringing new energy to the classic, psychedelic sounds we love. With lyricism, melodies, and pure energy, these fellas are the whole kit and kaboodle.
Below, we talk about the current pause on the scene, the impact of their individual backgrounds on their sound, and leave you with some excellent reminders in these weirdo times.
BREAKING WEATHER REPORT: A fill in the blank by Native Sun
"We interrupt this SAUCY.broadcast to bring you an ANNOYING news bulletin. Hurricane SUZANNE, with gusting PIGGIES clocked at 138 miles per hour, is SLOWLY hammering the populated Florida coast. This HAIRLESS storm has left SWEET devastation in its wake. The National BANANA Bureau reports that in Miami, windows have been blown out of fifty high-rise ICICLES, showering the streets below with pieces of broken WIENERS. The howling winds have reduced a newly built SEARCHING center to a pile of $1 SLICES. Police report a seven-ton railroad TABLE was lifted off its track and sent SHREDDING into a three-story CACTUS. Fortunately, there have been no casualties. Nevertheless, the Governor has declared a NOSE of emergency and advised all TOENAILS to seek safety in an EGG ROLL shelter. And now back to your AMPLIFIER in progress."
Would you rather…
have control over all the fish in the world or all the trees? What would you do with your new powers?
Jake (lead guitar/vox): All the trees for sure. I could make them grow rapidly if I wanted them to destroy something. Mauricio (bass/vox): Trees for sure. I would grow all the ones we’ve cut down to help with the earth.
Alexis (drums): If they’ve got trees I’ll say fish. You know how big schools of fish gather together to make themselves look like one big fish? Remember how in Finding Nemo they would turn into random things like arrows or the Sydney Opera House? I’d use em to make whatever thing I need in the moment.
Danny (vox/guitar): Half of each. To start a new ecosystem? You’ve got just enough fish, just enough trees...catch my drift.
Some questions with Native Sun
How did Native Sun come to be?
Danny: Little less than 3 years ago during the cold winter that follows the new year. Through a mutual agreement by friends to write songs that proved that not every great song with feedback has been written.
What are your thoughts on the state of rock n roll in the NY music scene?
Jake: I think we all needed this break. I can’t wait until all of my friends and I can get back in the swing of things, to hear everyone’s new ideas and songs they’ve written during this isolation period.
Mauricio: Same as Jake - we all needed this break, but I can't wait to get back in action with my homies and start creating new ideas, playing shows and back on the road.
Danny: I try not to pay attention too much to stuff like that. I believe that great moments take place by not getting lost in the surrounding constructs of the present but instead doing the work. That being said, we look to be a New York City band that represents the whole city and isn’t confined to one borough. There’s a lineage and we stand up for that and respect it.
What is one thing you would want to change about the music industry?
Jake: it would be really cool if it were possible to live comfortably being an artist.
Alexis: Can we somehow change music releases to Saturdays instead of Fridays? I hate having to stay up past midnight on a Thursday to listen to new albums cause then I’m sleepy at work the next day.
Danny: Nepotism/indie musicians with parents who have Wall St investments…if not music videos.
What is your favorite thing about live performances?
Jake: Watching Mo from my side of the stage.
Mauricio: Watching Jake from my side from the stage and feeling the power of our amps behind us.
Alexis: Drink tickets. Just kidding. Probably the adrenaline that lingers after we’re done with our set. It’s such a good feeling to ride out for a night.
Danny: Seeing the crowd slowly getting on stage as the set progresses...confrontation between the band and the audience, we’re both there in the experience together.
What was the subject of the first song you ever wrote?
Jake: It intentionally had no subject. The only goal was to make the lyrics make no sense.
Mauricio: I think the first song i wrote was a love song, lol. I was maybe like 14? Haha.
Danny: A ripoff of “Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da” when i was 14/15 probably, I thought I could make up something that ridiculous too and make it work.
How have your varied backgrounds shaped your music, if at all?
Jake: We all put our own unique mark on a song. Native Sun would sound completely different without one of the four of us.
Mauricio: The fact that everyone is into different things like genres, ideas or ways of creating helps shape the sound. Everyone has a different job but we share the same objective.
Alexis: Native Sun is greater than the sum of its parts, for sure. We’re definitely constantly expanding each other's horizons by sharing music and just ways of thinking about music. These guys have taught me so much in just two years, and it’s really shaped me into a different person completely, no lie.
Danny: I think it breeds a unique layer to the music because we’re bringing in various subconscious influences. For example, these can at times be a little more exotic than that of the traditional rock n roll canon. Someone like Brazil’s Caetano Veloso is a perfect example of this belief. He acknowledged where he came from, how he got there, and how that can be authentically interpreted through rock n roll while still questioning the past. That’s what it’s all about right? To be left standing on your own with only yourself, your experiences, and your freedom to express it.
What was the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Jake: Just go for it, man. It’ll work itself out.
Mauricio: Whatever you’re doing, do it with your 100%. Don’t waste your time or others’.
Danny: “You don’t need a weather man to know which way the wind blows...”
Any final comments? (This is your electronic soapbox for one last answer.)
Mauricio: Can’t wait for the NBA to be back and listen to jazz.
Alexis: Please don’t drink bleach and please stay home. I wanna go to a bar and eat tacos already.
Danny: Keep it Danko, be conscious of others, new music for a new decade coming.