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The Eclectic Sound Of Natural Born Leaders

WUNC News | By Frank Stasio,
Amanda Magnus
Published October 12, 2018 at 11:56 AM EDT
Natural Born Leaders. From left to right: Kevin Murtha, Ben Survant, Rex Shaffer, James Eddington, and Mike Martinez.
Courtesy of Natural Born Leaders
Natural Born Leaders. From left to right: Kevin Murtha, Ben Survant, Rex Shaffer, James Eddington, and Mike Martinez.
Natural Born Leaders. From left to right: Kevin Murtha, Ben Survant, Rex Shaffer, James Eddington, and Mike Martinez.
Credit Courtesy of Natural Born Leaders
Natural Born Leaders. From left to right: Kevin Murtha, Ben Survant, Rex Shaffer, James Eddington, and Mike Martinez.

The band Natural Born Leaders describes its sound as “the Fugees meets Black Sabbath.” The Asheville-based group is comprised of five members whose musical styles and influences range from metal and hard rock to hip-hop and folk.

Frank Stasio talks to the Asheville-based band Natural Born Leaders and they play in the studios of Blue Ridge Public Radio.

And their diverse portfolio of music is garnering some attention — this year Natural Born Leaders was featured in the NPR Tiny Desk Concert competition. The Natural Born Leaders join host Frank Stasio for live performance and conversation about their songwriting process, the Asheville music scene, and the video that got them noticed by NPR.

The group is lead singer and rhythm guitar player Mike Martinez; bass player James Eddington, saxophonist Ben Survant, drummer Kevin Murtha, and lead guitarist Rex Shaffer. The Natural Born Leaders will be at The Cave in Chapel Hill on Nov. 2.

 

Copyright 2018 North Carolina Public Radio
Frank Stasio
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
See stories by Frank Stasio
Amanda Magnus
Amanda Magnus grew up in Maryland and went to high school in Baltimore. She became interested in radio after an elective course in the NYU journalism department. She got her start at Sirius XM Satellite Radio, but she knew public radio was for her when she interned at WNYC. She later moved to Madison, where she worked at Wisconsin Public Radio for six years. In her time there, she helped create an afternoon drive news magazine show, called Central Time. She also produced several series, including one on Native American life in Wisconsin. She spends her free time running, hiking, and roller skating. She also loves scary movies.
See stories by Amanda Magnus