Natural Child - For the Love of the Game (2012)

Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, Natural Child are a trio whose good and greasy style is informed by Southern rock, vintage country-rock, laid-back Laurel Canyon sounds, '70s-style boogie, a dash of hard rock, and most likely a careful balance of liquor and bong hits (the bookmark icon for the band's official blog is a tiny pot leaf, and their lyrics often confirm their fondness for recreational marijuana). Natural Child were formed in 2009 by bassist Wez Traylor and drummer Zack Martin, who had just left another Nashville-based band, the Turbo Fruits. Traylor insists he recruited longtime friend Seth Murray to play guitar for Natural Child when he repeatedly called Murray on the phone one evening after Traylor had eaten too many cannabis-laced brownies. Murray agreed to sign on under the condition the new band record and tour as often as possible, and the trio lived up to that pledge. Natural Child released their first 7" within months of their first practice, and in their first two years, they managed to play over 200 shows per annum. In 2010, Natural Child brought out a cassette-only EP, Bodyswitchers, released by Infinity Cat Records, with a full-length album, 1971, following in 2011. In 2012, they signed on with the respected California indie Burger Records, releasing two records that same year, For the Love of the Game and Hard in Heaven. After listening to a lot of Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings in their tour van, Natural Child decided they wanted a fuller and more colorful sound, and in 2013 they added Benny Divine on keyboards and Luke Schneider on pedal steel to the group. Natural Child's five-piece lineup was unveiled on Dancin' with Wolves, released in early 2014. In 2016, Burger Records gave the Bodyswitchers EP a reissue on vinyl.