Kelcey Ayer

Kelcey Paul Ayer is an American musician and co-founder of Los Angeles-based indie rock band Local Natives. In 2017, Ayer released a solo album as Jaws of Love.

Career
Ayer was raised in Orange County, California, where he was a neighbor of Taylor Rice and Ryan Hahn. The three began performing music together in junior high school. Ayer attended a private Catholic high school, while Rice and Hahn attended the neighboring Tesoro High School. Ayer attended San Francisco State University before transferring to the University of California, Los Angeles, though he dropped out to pursue music full time.

Local Natives have since released five studio albums since forming in 2005. Ayer plays keyboards, percussion, and guitar, in addition to vocals. All members split work on the band's musical output evenly, including cover artwork and songwriting.

On April 29, 2024, Ayer announced his amicable departure from Local Natives. He will remain with the group for the last phase of their touring in support of the albums Time Will Wait for No One (2023) and But I'll Wait for You (2024). In an Instagram post, Ayer explained his departure: "Being in a band this committed and this intense comes with a lot. It's your entire life, and just doesn't leave a ton of room to build anything else. While I have cherished so so much all that we've built, I've always wanted space and time to build other things. I have my own music and my own interests that I'd like to see flourish, and while my bandmates have always been supportive, the reality is that time is finite. It came to a point that I realized my whole adult life I've been a part of one thing and I just yearn to explore." He also added: "Life is long, and who knows, maybe I'll be LN's John Frusciante, but for now I'll say this is not the end of Local Natives or the end of me."

Discography
With Local Natives
 * Gorilla Manor (2009)
 * Hummingbird (2013)
 * Sunlit Youth (2016)
 * Violet Street (2019)
 * Time Will Wait for No One (2023)
 * But I'll Wait for You (2024)

As "Jaws of Love."
 * Tasha Sits Close to the Piano (2017)
 * Second Life (2022)
 * Second Life Second Life: Naked (2024)