With Bonnaroo literally around the corner, there are so many awesome new bands that are playing at the extravaganza in deep in the heart of Tennessee. We’re proud to say that a fair share of site alumni are at the event, in fact way too many too list, including multiple featured artists. This week we’re going to highlight a band that’s been having a pretty strong start to 2013: Local Natives.

Formerly known as Cavil at Rest, the band formed in Orange County where Kelcey Ayer, Ryan Hahn, and Taylor Rice all attended Tesoro High School in Las Flores. After graduating from UCLA, the trio’s rhythm section was beefed up with the addition of Andy Hamm (bass) and Matt Frazier (drums) before heading up to the hipster haven of Silver Lake in Los Angeles to begin work on their debut record back in 2008. The album, now known as Gorilla Manor, was self-funded and recorded in West L.A. and slowly the band began to build momentum.

Like any up-and-coming outfit, the quintet made the trek down to Austin in 2009 to a multi-show stint at SXSW. But unlike 99 percent of the fledgling outfits that head there, Local Natives built a steady buzz amongst the music press. The group’s catchy brand of indie rock indie pop and indie folk resonated with audiences and contemporaries alike to the point where they were opening for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros on their 2011 European tour and performing with bands like The National and Arcade Fire

Gorilla Manor eventually peaked at no. 160 on the Billboard Top 200 and paved the way for their sophomore album, Hummingbird. Despite Hamm leaving the band, the band soldiered on as a four-piece and their album was one of the most anticipated released of the first quarter of 2013. As we’ve discussed here in our review of the record, the band’s sound matured even if it was a departure from what attracted fans to them in the first place. The new, mature sound has been attributed to Hamm’s departure and the loss of Ayer’s mother, which lead to a darker, perhaps even more introspective record. Despite that, the album peaked at no. 12 on the album charts and Local Natives were able to tour as a headlining act rather than as a support

As the band prepares to play in front of tens of thousands of fans this weekend, it’s safe to say that Local Natives are a band on the rise. It would have been easy for them to stick to the formula that made them popular with the indie folk, but by taking chances and perhaps even pushing themselves, the quartet may be able to break free from being pigeonholed as a one-trick indie pony. If you’re at Bonnaroo, be sure to check out one of the best new bands from Los Angeles; you won’t regret it.