FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Music

Local Natives' "Dark Days" Isn't About Dark Days and Its New Video Reflects That

Want to see some good-looking people having a lovely time in nice places? Because you can.

Indie rock quintet Local Natives live in Silver Lake, Los Angeles; they recorded 2016's Sunlit Youth LP in Malaysia, Nicaragua, Thailand, Hawaii, and Ojai, California. If you're not mad about that yet, you will be after watching their new video for "Dark Days," essentially a series of making-of clips from the prettiest places they visited.

Oh, but the song's called "Dark Days," you say, desperately trying to console yourself as you look out of your window into the gloom. Well, according to a note that the band shared with the video, "'Dark Days is a bit of a misleading name.'" Goddamnit.

Advertisement

It's a nostalgic song about high school first loves and all the intensity and tension surrounding them, mixed with a little dose of religious guilt.

I'm listening.

Growing up in Southern California, we didn't have many days without sun. "Dark Days" brought to mind good memories of swimming on rainy days and sneaking out to your girlfriend's house.

Shit.

We'd never done a duet before and when we brainstormed on our favorite female vocalists, Nina Persson immediately came to mind. We'd never met or had any connection to her prior, but she gave us a chance and we're so happy to have her beautiful voice on our record.

This footage is from the past two years of making Sunlit Youth. Instead of just going to a 'proper studio' in LA, we used most of our recording budget to travel and work in some beautiful locations. Our friend Jonathan came along and filmed us in Thailand, Malaysia, Joshua Tree, Ojai, Nicaragua and London. Not really sure why Taylor was naked…

Probably because he was having so much fun. Watch the video below and then stare at your bank balance for twenty minutes before realizing that, no, you can't go to those places, settle down.

Follow Noisey on Twitter.