Kelcey Ayer—formerly of Local Natives, and briefly releasing music as Jaws of Love—is back with a new solo single entitled “Only Love Is Time.” Following his 2025 No Sleep EP, the new single, as Ayer shares, was largely inspired by the sounds of Portishead, Boards of Canada, and The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony.” “The song sees the protagonist the morning after a long night out, perhaps questioning his choices,” he explained. “The mantra ‘Only love is time,’ plays over and over inside his head, at first justifying his behavior. As the song progresses, the mantra morphs into something different, perhaps becoming motivation to change.”
The track arrives with a music video directed by Henry Young. “Henry and I love the retro-future vibes at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel here in downtown LA, so we decided to grab a room and wander around, filming until they told us to stop,” Ayer noted. “Lucky for us, it was completely dead on a Sunday, so we had the place to ourselves. We tried to paint a common tour story in my life of checking in at random hotels and having to kill time until the show. We wanted to channel a bit of Lost In Translation, with a bit of homesickness, hoping to arc towards more gratitude and joy by the end. I am very fortunate to live a pretty adventurous life, but I can forget that from time to time. The idea was for me to recapture that truth, and lean into it.”
The new single arrives as Ayer is beginning a nine-date tour opening for Other Lives. The gigs begin tonight at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle. Check out the video for “Only Love Is Time” below, and view Ayer’s tour dates here.
