The idea of “putting yourself out there” has become a casual suggestion for people to throw around, although when broken down, it is a bold and terrifying move for some. It is easier said than done to lay yourself bare and vulnerable, allowing others to judge with nothing to shield yourself with other than your instincts and perception. Doing this in a social setting is stressful, but artistically, that veil becomes even thinner.
When it is time for an artist to enter the solo spotlight, an unnatural storm of emotions begins to brew. But for former Local Natives multi-instrumentalist and vocalist/founding member Kelcey Ayer, his solo debut, the No Sleep EP, is a full, spot-on artistic realization. Ayer’s solo journey may have begun with his Jaws of Love persona in 2017, but it wasn’t until January of 2025 that the artist began releasing music under his name, which came to fruition upon the process and gift of becoming a father for the first time.
“My wife and I had been trying to have a baby for almost four years with no luck, only severe disappointment. We had two miscarriages, one at seven weeks, then another at 17 weeks, both crushing our spirits,” explains Ayer. “By our third pregnancy, we were dreading whatever was going to happen, expecting the worst, struggling to hope for the best. Then Oskar was born. I was so worried about even having a baby that once he came, I didn’t know how to feel. I thought I’d be crying with joy, but I still felt uneasy. I’d known someone whose child died of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), and that became the next anxiety hurdle I’d have to get over. It just all felt like such a shitty start to what’s supposed to be one of the most beautiful things life has to offer for a man: becoming a father.”
The atmospheric No Sleep EP showcases the artist’s intimate songwriting and acrobatic vocals, all while a diverse array of influences blend to create the sonic canvas. Moments like “Don’t Look Down” and “Different Planets” introduce Ayer’s refreshing approach to modern folk. At the same time, the danceable title track and brooding closer, “Mother is the Real Jesus,” indicate that the artist isn’t afraid to experiment.
“Amidst all of that baggage, it became clear that my life had completely changed. I thought having a baby would be additive, another descriptor tacked on to my already well-established ones (husband, artist, friend, brother, etc). But it was transformative. My life wasn’t my own anymore. I was bound to someone. My time wasn’t mine anymore. My body was reduced to a machine, on at all times, used by this baby for survival. It was a lot to process, and the only way I know how to process anything is through writing songs. So I just started writing,” adds Ayer about his recent creative rush.
“This music was born out of immense struggle with something new, and even if you aren’t a father now or will never be, I hope it can at least bring some catharsis to whatever you are going through. New things are always scary and disorienting, but anything worthwhile takes time, effort, struggle, and belief. These songs are the first of a huge batch of material, and I can’t wait for you to hear more.”
\With a newfound footing in the solo realm and a stunningly poetic new EP, Ayer graciously took some time to speak with Glide about No Sleep, his love for the piano, and this new phase of his artistry. You can read the full interview below.
You made one of the boldest moves a musician can make—stepping away from an established band to pursue your creative path. Was there a specific moment or realization that pushed you to make that decision?
The 2020 lockdown was when I began allowing myself to consider the idea of leaving the band as something real. Before that, it was an inconceivable thought. But after playing and writing with the same people for over 17 years up till that point, with all the baggage that comes with it, and all of a sudden being forced to sit and assess where you’re at (like so many of us did), I realized I wasn’t happy.
I felt like I was growing further and further apart artistically, and that I yearned for my own time, and for the space to grow something new that was my own (I released solo material under the name Jaws of Love before, but the gravitational pull of a band like Local Natives was just too big to allow anything else the proper space to grow). But it still would take over two years of weighing the pros and cons with my wife or my therapist, really making sure it was something I wanted to do. I created a bond with those guys that few people will ever understand. I love them like family. But eventually it became clear that it was something I needed to do for myself, a concept lost in a band as democratic as LN was. It really felt like for my entire adult life, I had never been able to make a decision for myself. That was an alarming thought, so from there I knew it was just something I had to see through.
On stage, your stage presence has always been captivating—you sing, play percussion, and are clearly a key part of the creative engine. How has that ability to juggle multiple roles shaped your approach to your solo work?
First off, thank you! However, being able to play multiple roles has been a huge help in the studio, enabling me to bring everything I’m hearing in my head into the real world. I wrote and played everything myself, minus a handful of contributions from some wonderful musician friends of mine (Young Jesus, Jordana, Alejandro Aranda, & Steady Holiday to name a few). A couple newer roles I had to familiarize myself with was producing and engineering my own stuff, which I came to more through necessity than desire. After my son was born we just had no money, but I had some recording equipment and a home studio I could use, so I just gave it a shot. I feel really proud of this work in that respect, but my cherished friend and mixer, Danny Reisch, really made it all shimmer and glow with the luster of someone who’s much more seasoned than I am.
The piano intro on “The Arrival” feels like a blend of Bon Iver’s emotional tone and Bruce Hornsby’s melodic sensibility. Was that piece something you’d been holding onto, or did it come together during the album process? How do you see yourself as a keyboardist—more of a composer, or do you feel the piano is one of your lead instruments?
The piano is definitely how I write most things and is my main love and favorite instrument. I wouldn’t call myself a keyboardist, though. I’m not that proficient, honestly, with any of the instruments I play, but I can play them enough to get my ideas out. I’m more of an artist first. I’m much more interested in how the whole song works than any one particular part. But it’s funny that you ask about the origins of that piano line, it’s actually from another song that I never finished, which was the first thing I ever wrote after my son was born. I’m finishing up my debut full-length now, and I’m going to probably finish that one last, which is wild since it was the first thing I wrote.
“Don’t Look Down” builds with infectious energy and feels like a defining moment in a live set. How did that track come together, and what was the creative spark behind it?
That started as a different song that never came to fruition, but I loved the beat, so I re-recorded it and came up with this two chord progression that felt really nice over it, especially with this unpredictable self-morphing Arturia soft synth I used (can’t remember which one/ gotta figure that out). It turned into an instrumental track that I was stuck on for months. Then I had a week where I got Covid and was banned to live in my garage-studio. I felt so bad for leaving my wife and new-born baby alone, but I’ll also admit, it was fuckingawesome. I made a huge breakthrough on the song, wrote lyrics and shaped the song it into what it’s become. I also made breakthroughs on two other songs, plus I watched a ton of The Sinner, which is such a rad, dark detective show… it was a pretty magical week.
“Mother Is the Real Jesus” is a bold, Lennon-esque title. What’s the story behind that name, and what inspired the song both lyrically and thematically?
All this new music was inspired by becoming a father, and one of the biggest parts of that was witnessing my wife become a mother. I had no idea what a woman goes through to bring a baby to term, literally rip their bodies apart to give birth to them, then surrender their body for even longer to breastfeed and hold and soothe this little miracle. I grew up Christian but I’m not anymore, still the parallels of motherhood and Jesus Christ kept coming to me. The Christian church talks all the time of Jesus giving his body and blood for the sins of all humans, and while we have no definitive proof that such a magically-gifted man existed, every day there are mothers on this earth living and breathing and existing, doing all of the things this other guy is worshipped for. The irony with how religion treats women would be hilarious if it weren’t so gut-wrenchingly sad. It’s women who should be worshipped and revered. But anyway, I am psyched on the Lennon shout-out, so thank you for that.
What led you to release an EP rather than a full-length debut? Was that a strategic choice, or more about timing and inspiration?
I have so many songs ready to go, and actually at one point had a very long album, but I decided to carve out an EP from it to help build and introduce this new phase I’m in. The industry seems harder than ever to break through, and I think you need to feed the machine small bites more regularly to get noticed. I’d like to build awareness for this new music, and the idea of dropping an entire body of work too early to get swallowed whole and disappear would be too brutal. I really want to give my debut album a chance to connect, so I figure by next year I’ll have been pushing for a while to maybe get more support for a full-length. I hate that I have to strategize, but I don’t have a label, booking agent, PR, any of the things I’ve had in the past, so I use my family as motivation to make me try and make smart decisions. It’s not sexy or romantic or artistic-minded but it’s reality. I’m trying my best to retain my artistic integrity while having to wear all these industry hats.
You have a very distinct vocal style. How did that voice develop over time? Have you always seen yourself primarily as a singer?
It’s interesting that you say that, I don’t think I could ever hear my voice in the way other people do, so I can’t value it in the same way. I find myself comparing my voice to others but I want to learn to appreciate my own more. I think I feel more like an artist than anything. My voice, my skills as a producer, my ability to play instruments, they all just feel like tools to help create something that I hope makes people feel the same way I feel when I hear something I love.
What artists have been inspiring you lately? Any recent records or sounds that have shaped where you’re headed creatively?
From a songwriting perspective, I’ve really been inspired by Andy Shauf. He commits so confidently and unapologetically to a story and builds an album around it, almost more like a play than a record, and that’s amazing. That new Cameron Winter record is really cool too, the production and his voice and lyrics are so unique, and it makes me feel permission to embrace more uniqueness in myself. Black Midi and Jockstrap were projects too that felt so unique and visionary. Aya and YHWH Nailgun are carrying that torch for me now. I keep referring to these artist’s outputs as feeling illegal. I love music that feels like that, because it seems like so much music now is hyper-focused with the algorithms and playlists and sounding vaguely like something but not standing out enough to call attention to itself. That fucking sucks. I love creativity and humor and emotional depth and fucking with form and just pushing things to their limits, and if you can do that and end up with something that connects, that’s the goal. And that’s the bar I’m always trying to reach.
