If you weren’t in a band, what would you see yourself doing?ĪLISA: I honestly didn’t set myself up with a plan B. I can’t do creative things without intention and consideration. My opinion is that if you’re going to record stripped back versions, they better bloody well feel justified. We picked our most well-known songs-the tracks that identify us in the broadest sense and then re-produced and re-recorded them as though we were an alternative folk duo. What was the process of selecting, recording, and producing the songs? You recently released an acoustic compilation, A Still Heart, on March 9, 2018. I didn’t learn the guitar until I was about 13 years old I knew I needed to learn an instrument so that I could have accompaniment for the songs I would write. My dad used to sing in a Laotian community band, and I would fantasize that I would be singing in my own band one day. What was the first instrument (musical or non-musical) you started making music with?ĪLISA: My primary instrument is my voice. It really has blossomed into its own special native self loathing that Kiwis might call “tall poppy syndrome”. Being part of the Commonwealth, we inherited English self-deprecation.

The Naked And Famous is everything we aren’t. Scrolling through my favorite artist's lyrics, I landed on “Tricky Kid” by Tricky. I stumbled upon our band name while I was busy avoiding doing actual work at my record store job. THOM: Alisa and I met in 2006-we dropped out of music university together to become successful indie/alternative student-radio rock musicians AKA broke. What’s the story behind the formation of The Naked and Famous? Is there any particular significance to the name “The Naked and Famous”? Taking a pause from performing, Alisa and Thom kindly contributed some time to discuss the beginnings of The Naked And Famous, the process behind creating and crafting A Still Heart, and even a few tour essentials! After completing a West Coast run of their stripped-down tour in support of A Still Heart, they are currently on the East Coast they sold out two nights at (le) poisson rouge in NYC earlier this week on June 25 and 26. Not only have they performed at festivals such as Firefly, Coachella, and BottleRock, they have shared the stage with notable artists including Imagine Dragons and GROUPLOVE. Most recently, they put out an acoustic compilation, A Still Heart, on March 2, 2018, via Somewhat Damaged/Kobalt. In addition, they have released a couple of EPs. Septemthen marked the release of their sophomore album, In Rolling Waves, which was followed by Simple Forms on October 14, 2016. They released their debut record, Passive Me, Aggressive You, which features their hit, “Young Blood”, on Septemvia their own label, Somewhat Damaged. Behind the spectacular sound is Alisa Xayalith (vocals, keyboards), Thom Powers (vocals, guitars), and David Beadle (bass), along with touring musician Luna Shadows (vocals, keyboards). The Naked And Famous, formed in Auckland, New Zealand in 2007, is now currently based in Los Angeles, California.

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