Backing bands have been an integral part of some of the biggest acts in music history, and have spanned just about every genre and style imaginable. For rapper Anderson .Paak, much of his music—both recorded and live—is reliant on the work of the Free Nationals, his band of musicians that make his music so enjoyable to listen to. Today, the Free Nationals are making a name for themselves in their own right with their self-titled debut album, out now via .Paak’s OBE record label.
The arrival of Free Nationals comes a year after the release of “Beauty & Essex,” the band’s groovy collaboration with Daniel Caesar and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and a string of subsequent singles. Earlier this year, the band made waves with their posthumous Mac Miller collab “Time,” anchored by vocals from Kali Uchis, while The Internet frontwoman Syd joined the party on “Shibuya.” Anderson .Paak collaborator Kadhja Bonet joined the party for “On Sight” alongside multidisciplinary rappers JID and MIKNNA, while Jamaican reggae artist Chronixx helped slow it down on “Eternal Light.”
As a result of being Anderson .Paak’s backing band, the Free Nationals emulate the same styles of hip hop and R&B that they explore with .Paak’s music; unlike those previous works, however, they’re now primary drivers of what sounds they want to create and how they want to deliver them. .Paak still naturally makes on appearance on standout track “Gidget,” but his omnipresent influence is otherwise kept to a minimum. Tracks like “RENE” with Callum Connor and “Obituaries” with Shafiq Husayn sonically differ the most from .Paak’s catalog, for example, while solo track “Lester Diamond” is a funky, upbeat tune that paints a clear picture of the Free Nationals’ musical sensibilities.
It can be easy for backing bands to fall into obscurity as the artist(s) they support go on to enjoy increasingly successful careers, but the Free Nationals made all the right decisions with their debut LP. An all-star lineup of collaborators and an emphasis on the sounds that first put them (and .Paak) on the map couldn’t be anything but a winning formula.
