this week’s opener (9/20) is:

Hiatus Kaiyote

🔮the vibe…

soft lauryn hill-esque vocals that dance around jazzy r&b instrumentals 🧈

🏡the roots…

Melbourne, Australia📍

📖 the story…

• It started in 2010 when Nai Palm's raw solo vocal set captivated Paul Bender in a small Melbourne venue.

  • A backstage chat turned into a jam session, and by 2011, Hiatus Kaiyote was born.

• Adding Simon Mavin on keys and Perrin Moss on drums, they made their debut at the Bohemian Masquerade Ball

  • (sharing the stage with sword swallowers and fire twirlers—an early glimpse of their genre-defying vibe)

• In 2012, they self-released Tawk Tomahawk, a mix of jazz, funk, rock, and psychedelia that earned the praise of music heavyweights like Erykah Badu, Questlove, and even Prince

  • side note: I HK first came onto my radar when I heard an interview with Questlove who said they were his favorite act rn 😳

• A chance encounter with DJ Gilles Peterson in London led to a record deal, and soon they were signed as the first act on Salaam Remi's new label, Flying Buddha.

• As they hit the road, the band’s reputation grew, known for their electrifying live shows and ability to blend sounds in ways no one had heard before.

• By 2015, Hiatus Kaiyote released Choose Your Weapon

  • It debuted at #22 in Australia and broke into the US charts, solidifying their global appeal

• The album landed them another Grammy nomination 🏆, and their songs started being heavily sampled in hip hop by artists like Anderson .Paak, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and Beyoncé.

• While the band was flying high, life threw a curveball: Nai Palm was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018.

  • Even in recovery, she stayed creative, recording from her hospital bed, and in 2019, she triumphantly declared herself cancer-free 💪

• In 2020, the band regrouped, signing with Warner Chappell and channeling their highs and lows into grammy nominated Mood Valiant.

• More recently, Hiatus Kaiyote kicked off 2024 by releasing their stellar album Love Heart Cheat Code, promising a new chapter for a band that’s never played by the rules.

  • Highly recommend listening

• To steal a line from ‘Chappell Roan’ - Hiatus Kaiyote might really be ‘your favorite artist’s, favorite artist’ 👩‍🎨

🎙️ the 🔝 performance…

hiatus kaiyote (tiny desk home concert) ⬇️

• ya they’re a lil weird….they’re australian!

• but hot damn those vocals sink into that jazz percussion like butter into a warm biscuit

• throw this on in the background on a bright sunday morning and soak it all in

🎧 the 🔝 songs…

red room - spotify / apple music

nakamarra (feat. q-tip of a tribe called quest) - spotify / apple music

📇 the rest…

• touring australia/europe/asia rn - maybe US in the future?

• IG

📩the word…

spread it - and forward this to that one friend of yours…

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