The brash rock and roll group Native 51 was created by an unlikely duo. During his time on Season 10 of American Idol, Singer/Songwriter Tim Halperin began writing and recording his first solo album with Producer/Composer Jordan Critz in Dallas. As the pair recorded and toured, they connected over a shared love for gritty nineties rock with melodic pop sensibility. They escaped long hours on the road by diving into the music of Tonic, Collective Soul, and Third Eye Blind.

Fast-forward three years to 2015: Critz and Halperin find themselves in Nashville, still writing and touring regularly. In moments of downtime, the pair penned a few rock song ideas for fun, never aiming at releasing the songs. But as the songs took shape, Halperin and Critz found that it was a chance to remove all inhibition as songwriters and express their ideas freely. It wasn’t long before the songs were recorded, and this passion project became the full-fledged rock group Native 51. While a mixed bag of nostalgia, Native 51’s music also manages to brave new territory, combining high-energy rock and roll with a keen sensitivity to groove and lyric.