Free Nationals

About

Free Nationals have built their reputation as Anderson.Paak's go to backing band, but they are far more than a support act. The Los Angeles quartet, made up of guitarist José Ríos, keyboardist Ron Avant, bassist Kelsey González, and drummer Callum Connor, describe their ethos as staying "indigenous to the funk," drawing on Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, B.B. King, and Al Green as touchstones. Their NPR Tiny Desk Concert with Paak in 2016 racked up over 104 million views, making it the third most watched in that series. Their self titled debut album, released in late 2019 through OBE and Empire Distribution, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Progressive R&B Album. It featured some memorable collaborations, including "Time" with Mac Miller and Kali Uchis, which became the first officially released posthumous track from Miller after his passing. More recently they linked up with A$AP Rocky and Anderson.Paak for "Gangsta," keeping that warm, future retro soul sound very much alive.