Kelcey Ayer, co-founder and former co-lead singer of Local Natives, has shared a new single, “Only Love Is Time.” The self-produced song follows his 2025 EPs, No Sleep and Hand Me Downs, which were his first releases under his own name.

Watch the video here: 

Built around a piano progression, “Only Love Is Time” also features drums, synths, and cello. Ayer said he was listening to 1990s Portishead, Boards of Canada, and The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony" when the beat and chord progression came together. The song follows a protagonist in the morning after a long night out, questioning his choices, and the title phrase plays on repeat in his head. Ayer said that as the song goes on, “the mantra morphs into something different,” shifting from a way to justify his behavior to possible motivation to change. 

The video was directed by Henry Young and shot at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, with the two sneaking around filming until the hotel told them to stop. Ayer said they wanted to reflect a common experience from touring, checking into random hotels and killing time before a show, with a bit of Lost in Translation and a shift from homesickness towards gratitude. 

Ayer kicks off a nine-date run supporting Other Lives at Tractor Tavern in Seattle. The tour wraps November 24 in Oklahoma City. See those dates down below. 

Before going solo, Ayer released six albums with Local Natives, including 2013’s Hummingbird, which debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200. He began releasing solo material in 2017 under the name Jaws Of Love before releasing his No Sleep and Hand Me Downs EPs this year, a pair of piano-based collections about becoming a father, and he toured with Jordana earlier this year. 

Tour Dates: 

11/10 Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
11/11 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
11/13 San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel
11/14 Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
11/17 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
11/18 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
11/21 New York, NY @ Sony Hall
11/22 Somerville, MA @ Arts at the Armory
11/24 Oklahoma City, OK @ The Jones Assembly