Kelcey Ayer – vocalist, pianist and one of the primary songwriters of Local Natives – recently announced Jaws of Love., his solo debut and the first side project from a member of the Los Angeles band. Following the debut single “Jaws of Love.” today Ayer shares a new track entitled “Love Me Like I’m Gone.”

Jaws of Love. will release its debut album entitled Tasha Sits Close to the Piano – named by Ayer’s wife about the couple’s dog Tasha – digitally on September 22nd, in the UK on 3rd November via K-Rizzla/House Arrest.

Kelcey Ayer, the creative force behind Jaws of Love., has always been able to write a good love song – he just didn’t always know it. “I used to think that in order to write about love, something had to be wrong,” he says. “I often got my material from pain, or insecurity, or problems – I thought I couldn’t write a good love song because I am in love and it’s going so well. But I’ve grown to realize that even in the most amazing relationships there are turbulent times and misunderstandings that are unavoidable. And that doesn’t mean that anything is doomed, but love is such a complicated thing. The idea of ‘jaws of love’ felt so perfect for this project because it’s all about love’s trials and tribulations.”

As Local Natives geared up to release their third album last summer, Ayer booked time in the same LA studio, Electro-Vox, where the band had recorded ‘Sunlit Youth’, and in a three-day burst he recorded a handful of his own songs with the help of engineer Michael Harris and mixer Cian Riordan. Without any intention of releasing the tracks initially, Ayer allowed his emotional intuition to lead the way in the process. This ultimately yielded powerful results and was an exhilarating experience that led Ayer to decide to continue writing. He returned to the studio later in the year, and – aided by the studio’s myriad synthesizers, antique equipment, preamps, and outboard gear, in addition to drums recorded by Local Natives’ drummer Matt Frazier – Ayer completed his gorgeous solo debut.

“The whole project is me trying to embrace my nuances and indulge in it,” he says. “It was such an awesome release making these songs, and that let me embrace who I feel like I am. It was wonderful to not have to explain myself to anyone. I have dark piano music in my heart and soul, and Jaws of Love. is me at my truest self.”

Jaws of Love. will make its live debut in Ayer’s hometown of Los Angeles on September 21st at Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery to celebrate the release of ‘Tasha Sits Close to the Piano’.