Artist Spotlight: Hiatus Kaiyote -

Label: Unsigned
Genre: Future-Soul
Members: Nai Palm, Perrin Moss, Paul Bender, Simon Mavin
Based: Melbourne, Australia
Sounds Like: Chet Faker, Submotion Orchestra, Little Dragon
Links: Facebook, Bandcamp, Hiatuskaiyote.com

It’s impossible to ignore the beautifully spirited sounds of Future-Soul group Hiatus Kaiyote, especially when their musical accolades include endorsements by the likes of Erykah Badu, the Brainfeeder crew, The Roots, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Gilles Peterson and Jean Grae. Fronted by 23-year-old songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Nai Palm, who has created intricate compositions rich with colour and mystery, the Melbourne-based 4-piece sit snugly between the sounds of Zero 7 and Jamiroquai – fusing elements of Jazz, Experimental Soul and Ambience. They released their 10-track debut Tawk Tomahawk independently back in April of this year, topping Bandcamp R&B sales (with no marketing budget) and selling out 400+ shows.

The vitality and warmth of front-woman Nai Palm is what really sets this collective apart, pouring out candidly intimate stories and experiences in every track. Discussing the lyrics of Nakamarra (our favourite track off the album, Erkyah Badu’s too!) Nai explained:

“Nakamarra was written about Hannah, I wrote about her because she is one of the strongest people I know. And she is the type of person that you can not see for a long time but they will always remain like your family. She was working out in the desert with Aboriginal artists with mental disabilities. We got tattoos on our arms together which is present in the lyrics “rise together with our hearts upon our sleeves for all to see”. I also wore the tacky aqua dress in the clip because she is obsessed with the colour. It’s about making life long bonds with the family you get to choose“.

Below you can find an acoustic version of the track, an incredible cover of MJ’s Rock with You and an interview with Nai…

Hiatus Kaiyote – Nakamarra (acoustic)