# Free Nationals

Free Nationals are an American R&B band formed in Los Angeles, California. The group consists of José Ríos (lead guitar, backing vocals), Ron "T.Nava" Avant (keyboard, rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Kelsey Gonzales (bass guitar, bass synth) and Callum Connor (drums, percussion, backing vocals). They frequently accompany Anderson .Paak as his backing band.

## History

Guitarist José Ríos and keyboardist Ron Avant met Anderson .Paak while studying at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California in the late 2000s. Bassist Kelsey Gonzalez and drummer Callum Connor joined them soon after and they formed the Free Nationals. The band went on to produce for Anderson and frequently tour with him. The idea for their name came from their mentor Shafiq Huisayn. Free Nationals is a term which means the first settlers of America before Columbus came, the people indigenous to the land. They took their own interpretation of this, being 'indigenous to the music' by paying homage to the influential musicians before them.
Their performance with Paak at his NPR Tiny Desk Concert in August 2016 is possibly their most significant appearance to date. The YouTube video has amassed over 104 million views so far, making it the 3rd most popular video in the Tiny Desk series.
The band released their debut single "Beauty & Essex" featuring Daniel Caesar and Unknown Mortal Orchestra on October 9, 2018. Their second single "Time" featuring Mac Miller and Kali Uchis, released on June 12, 2019, was the first official posthumous song from Miller since his death in September 2018. On December 13, 2019, they released their self-titled debut album through OBE and Empire Distribution. It was nominated for Best Progressive R&B album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.

## Musical style and influence

Their music has been described as having a "future retro, funky and soulful sound". The band state that they 'stay indigenous to the funk' by paying tribute to their inspirations who include legendary musicians Stevie Wonder, B.B. King, Herbie Hancock and Al Green.

## Members

* José Ríos – lead guitars, backing vocals
* Ron "T.Nava" Avant – keyboards, synthesizers, talkbox, rhythm guitars, lead and backing vocals
* Kelsey Gonzalez – bass guitar, bass synth, backing vocals
* Callum Connor – DJ, drums, percussion, backing vocals

## Discography
### Studio albums

| Title | Details |
| Free Nationals | Released: December 13, 2019 Label: OBE, Empire Format: Digital download, Streaming, CD, LP |

### Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions :
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Title | Year | NZ Hot | Album |
| "Beauty & Essex" (featuring Daniel Caesar and Unknown Mortal Orchestra) | 2018 | — | Free Nationals |
| "Time" (with Mac Miller and Kali Uchis) | 2019 | 22 | Free Nationals |
| "On Sight" (featuring JID, Kadhja Bonet and Miknna) | 2019 | — | Free Nationals |
| "Eternal Light" (featuring Chronixx) | 2019 | — | Free Nationals |
| "Shibuya" (featuring Syd) | 2019 | — | Free Nationals |
| "Gangsta" (featuring A$AP Rocky and Anderson .Paak) | 2024 | 12 | Non-album single |

### Guest appearances

| Title | Year | Album |
| "ALLSTAR" (Rae Khalil featuring Free Nationals) | 2020 | FORTHEWORLD |
| "Photo ID (Free Nationals Remix)" (Remi Wolf featuring Free Nationals) | 2020 | We Love Dogs! |
| "Buddy" (T.Nava featuring Rae Khalil, Free Nationals, Black Nile & Chris Dave and The Drumhedz) | 2021 | Non-album single |
| "Pretty Lady (Free Nationals Remix)" (Tash Sultana featuring Free Nationals) | 2021 | Non-album single |
| "Strawberry Blush" (John Legend featuring Free Nationals) | 2022 | LEGEND |

## Awards and nominations
### Grammy Awards

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
| 2021 | Free Nationals | Best Progressive R&B Album | Nominated | |