Hiatus Kaiyote Takes the El Rey

Written by Patricia Manlucu for Urban Outfitters Space15Twenty (2016)

 Hiatus Kaiyote is a future-soul band from Melbourne, Australia. Last Thursday, they took LA by storm for a sold out show at the El Rey theater, with an opening performance by Teebs. They’re incomparable to any soul group you’ve ever heard before; they describe their music as “Multi-Dimensional, Polyrhythmic Gangster Shit.”

Nai Palm, vocalist of the band, explains their name:

“Kaiyote” is not a word. It’s a made up word, but it kind of sounds like peyote and coyote – it’s a word that involved the listeners creativity as to how they perceive it. So it reminds you of things but it’s nothing specific. When I looked it up on online it was like a bird appreciation society around the world, so for me that was a great omen, because I’m a bird lady. A hiatus is essentially a pause, it’s a moment in time. So, to me, a hiatus is taking a pause in your life to take in your surroundings, have a full panoramic view of your experiences and absorbing, and “kaiyote” is expressing them in a way involves the listeners creativity.

The group was nominated for a grammy back in 2013 under Best R&B Performance for their song “Nakamarra,” and were nominated again this year for their song “Breathing Underwater.” During their performance, they showed endless gratitude to everyone who came out, and explained that the fans are the reason they were able to come out again. You can really tell how dedicated they are to their sound, as well as their fans. They even played a couple of new songs, all of which sounded so different from everything else they have released. Hiatus Kaiyote has no boundaries when it comes to their sound, yet somehow everything works in creative unity. They’re not restricted by the genre of “future-soul,” and they continuously prove that through their new music.

Their tracks take you to a different world, and the fact of the matter is that they’re even greater live than through your earphones - definitely a band worth catching once they’re back in the U.S.