Kelcey Ayer has been creating music as a vocalist, pianist, and one of the primary songwriters for Local Natives for more than a decade. Local Natives have released four studio albums since forming in 2005 where Ayer plays keyboards, percussion, and guitar, in addition to vocals. Amassing over a billion streams worldwide, the songwriter and musician has well remained under the spotlight due to his unavoidable amount of talent.
He released his stunning solo debut, Tasha Sits Close To The Piano, as Jaws of Love in 2017. Today, he returns to the project that he once called his “truest self” and releases his first single as Jaws of Love with “m&m.” Jaws of Love sees Ayer hone in on his master craft and to commemorate the release, we figured now would be the best time to catch up with Ayer and get his favorite song lyrics of all-time.
Wilco – Ashes Of American Flags
“All my lies are always wishes, I know I would die if I could come back new”
“This one kind of broke my brain when I heard it. I imagined what I would have to have done in my life to consider taking such drastic action, to want to start over that badly. The way he sings this and the moment in which it arrives in the song is so perfect too, all the music kind of hangs there for a moment to let the line sink in. It’s a man completely broken down and surrendering, and that honesty is like a gift to the listener. Almost sacrificial.” – Kelcey Ayer
Angel Olsen – Lonely Universe
“If you have imagined your way back, then my dear you’re more than halfway there”
“I love “a-ha” moments in songs, and this one is just so perfect. It connected with me so deeply when I heard it, thinking of all the times that were so hard in my life, but the biggest hurdle towards healing was myself.” – Kelcey Ayer
Frank Ocean – Solo
“It’s hell on Earth and the city’s on fire. Inhale, in hell there’s heaven. There’s a bull and a matador dueling in the sky. Inhale, in hell there’s heaven”
“His wordplay here is truly masterful, and like all of his lyrics, they just flow effortlessly but are overflowing with imagery. I can imagine laying down and staring at the sky, taking a moment amid the chaos of life to just be.” – Kelcey Ayer
Leonard Cohen – Love Calls You By Your Name
“Between the birthmark and the stain, Between the ocean and your open vein, Between the snowman and the rain, Once again, once again, Love calls you by your name.”
“The whole song has these juxtapositions that I’m sure he could just write all day. It’s the “between the ocean and your open vein” line that gets me. And the idea of whatever you “love” could be good or bad, but it always knows intimately who you are, more than you know yourself. The picture of addiction is as beautiful as it is horrifying.” – Kelcey Ayer
Paul Simon – Graceland
“She comes back to tell me she’s gone. As if I didn’t know that, As if I didn’t know my own bed. As if I’d never noticed, The way she brushed her hair from her forehead. And she said, “losing love Is like a window in your heart, Everybody sees you’re blown apart, Everybody sees the wind blow”
“This is one of my favorite stanzas of all time. Paul Simon always does the thing where you scatter out intimate details in these huge pop songs that connect to each other. The “brushed her hair from her forehead” is so intimate and perfect it kills me.” – Kelcey Ayer
Local Natives – Ellie Alice
“On the other side, will I be reminded? Paid in youth. Counting up the costs for the time rewinded. Paid in youth”
“So in my main musical project Local Natives, I’ve always admired my band-mate and fellow song-writer Ryan Hahn for his lyrics. This is from a song he brought to the table on our 3rd album Sunlit Youth, and it’s the only one to date he’s ever sung himself. “Paid in youth” is just such a beautiful and heartbreaking way to look at your past and the passage of time as something you’re constantly paying for, but one that you rarely aware of. Just had to shout out my BOYYYYY (crying emoji).” – Kelcey Ayer
