Naturalist

Naturalist is a four-piece alternative rock/emo band from the heart of Oklahoma. Since getting its start in the mid-2010s in Oklahoma City’s tight-knit post-hardcore scene, the quartet has developed into a dedicated touring act with a pensive sound that retains the intense emotional range of its roots without the abrasiveness. The band paints atmospheric swirls of electric guitar onto sturdy rhythm section canvases as plaintive lyrics either swim within the textures or burst outward from the frame, depending on the emotional needs of each song. With five EPs and one full-length album under its belt, Naturalist has garnered acclaim from music magazines like Indie Vision Music, Alt Columnist, and Bring the Noise, the latter two of which placed their work in best-of album lists at the time of their release. Critic Evan Jarvicks with Cellar Door Music Group said, “Like pages ripped from a journal, Naturalist makes music that is as direct as it is cathartic...volcanic yet intimate.” Naturalist is composed of frontman Ashton Prescott, guitarist Hunter Amos, bassist Tyler Sanchez, and drummer Micah Patrick. Together, they breathe visceral moods into often understated yet spacious arrangements. One can trace qualities of shoegaze and post-rock in their performances. In a live setting, the band further connects with its audiences by offering an energetic and enthusiastic live show that encourages a fervent, communal experience on a level plane of momentary shared existence. Naturalist is so genuine in its soul-bearing artistry that it’s not hard to see why fans are so loyal to the band (and vice versa). An inherent persistence of heart courses throughout the band’s music, never falling cold, but fighting instead to carry a hot-blooded flame that welcomes listeners inside from the blizzards of life. In contrast to some of its peers, Naturalist does not fumble and cut itself upon the shards of heartbreak, though those shards appear all throughout the quartet’s emotional journey. Rather, the band uses those sharp edges to defiantly hew a winding pathway through troubled mind and belabored soul to find other lost spirits and, ultimately, to find a way back home.