The Free Nationals and Syd from The Internet take a psychedelic trip to “Shibuya” on the latest single from the band’s upcoming, self-titled debut album. They also announced the album’s impending release date: December 13. The 13-song tracklist includes features from Anderson .Paak, Chronixx, Conway, Daniel Caesar, JID, Kali Uchis, Mac Miller, T.I., Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and Westside Gunn. It’ll be independently released and distributed through Empire. Check out “Shibuya” below.
The Free Nationals’ debut comes after years of touring the world with Anderson .Paak as his backing band, meeting the artists who inspired them — and who would eventually end up on their album — along the way. The band takes its name from the loose coalition of indigenous tribes of America, with the mission statement of remaining indigenous to the funk of influences like Al Green, B.B. King, Herbie Hancock, and Stevie Wonder. It’s in this spirit that they collaborated with some of the more innovative, musically-inclined artists of their generation, like Syd, whose band The Internet also dabbles in the sort of futuristic, soulful funk that The Free Nationals embrace in their own output. Given the singles they’ve released so far, which include “Beauty And Essex” with Daniel Caesar, “Eternal Light” featuring Chronixx, “On Sight” featuring JID, and “Time” featuring Mac Miller and Kali Uchis, their mission to keep the funk alive is all systems go.
The Free Nationals is due December 13 via Empire.
