Continuing our highlights from DAY 1 of FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL 2013…
LOCAL NATIVES were up next, playing the red marquee stage, and the indie five-piece from LA seem to have garnered a considerable following in Japan on the back of only two studio albums, a decent-sized crowd ready and waiting for their musical talents.
On the Friday, the group opened with haunting track “You and I” from their latest album “Hummingbird” and the tone for the rest of the performance was set by Kelsey Acer’s beautiful vocals ringing out into the mountains.
Next up was their popular single “Breakers,” this time with guitarist Taylor Rice on vocals (overall vocal duties pretty evenly split between Rice and Acer). Fans seemed hypnotised by the soothing melodies floating off the stage, and were treated to a set full of their most popular tracks, closing with the furtive tune “Sun Hands.”
The tight indie-folk stylings of this band have earned them spots in numerous major festivals and the demand to go on massive tours, the next of which takes them through Europe, kicking off in Oslo next week. The band is currently promoting the album “Hummingbird” (produced by Aaron Dessner of The National) which debuted at #12 on the US Billboard Top 100 in January this year.