Originally Anderson .Paak’s backing band, the retro-leaning funk and soul outfit Free Nationals have become headliners in their own right. • The crew has served as .Paak’s live band since 2016, assisting the singer/rapper with live guitar, bass, keyboards, drums and backing vocals. • .Paak connected with lead guitarist Jose Miguel Serrano Rios and keyboardist Ron Avant when all three played a gig with another artist. They soon began performing original music, and then bassist Kelsey Gonzalez joined up. • The group played on .Paak’s 2016 breakthrough Malibu, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album. The members also appear on .Paak’s follow-ups Oxnard (2018) and Ventura (2019). • In 2019, Free Nationals released their self-titled debut album, featuring guests like .Paak, JID, Syd, Kali Uchis, Daniel Caesar and the late Mac Miller.