Natural Born Leaders

Celebrated for their eclectic “sound that floats seamlessly between rock, reggae, jazz, hip-hop [and] funk” (Live Music Daily), the music of Natural Born Leaders tears down every preconception one may have about genre borders and begs to be placed in a category all its own. From studio to stage, the Asheville, NC based quintet are on a longstanding journey to spread the gospel of grassroots revolution, one verse at a time.

In the summer of 2018, with breakout EP, About Time, barely one month old, the band submitted a live version of their unreleased single “Abominable Creatures” to NPR Music’s famed Tiny Desk Contest. Despite thousands of entries garnered, the unique performance style of Natural Born Leaders remained among the most memorable. Weeks later, when songwriter Naia Izumi was crowned the 2018 Tiny Desk Contest winner, Natural Born Leaders, too, were granted a moment in the spotlight, landing a feature interview on the nationally syndicated Weekend Edition program.

With stirring momentum, Natural Born Leaders have dropped their highly anticipated sophomore EP, Abominable Creatures. Produced and engineered by platinum record holder Patrick Doyle (Jennifer Lopez, Earth, Wind & Fire, Cory Rooney) the new record delivers brand new, heavy hitting verses and soul-shaking chants about love, desire, and the often uncomfortable sides of the human experience, and showcases “just how far down the rabbit hole” (Top Shelf Music) the band has fallen. With “wildly impressive, never predictable arrangements” whose “surging energy” (Music Mecca) never wavers, the release of Abominable Creatures has been quick to put NBL on the map as a must-see this year.

With influences ranging from the head-banging nature of Black Sabbath and Metallica, to the old-school energy of Outkast and Lauryn Hill, Natural Born Leaders weave rich bass lines, sexy brass and electrifying guitar solos into a sound all their own. Paired with the charisma of frontman Mike Martinez, the long-playing debut of Abominable Creatures is ripe with some of the most revolution-stirring antics one can sneak into a six song collection.