[3] Guitarist José Ríos and keyboardist Ron Avant met Anderson .Paak while studying at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California in the late 2000s.

Free Nationals is a term which means the first settlers of America before Columbus came, the people indigenous to the land.

[6] Their performance with Paak at his NPR Tiny Desk Concert in August 2016 is possibly their most significant appearance to date.

[8] The band released their debut single "Beauty & Essex" featuring Daniel Caesar and Unknown Mortal Orchestra on October 9, 2018.

[13][14][15] The band state that they 'stay indigenous to the funk' by paying tribute to their inspirations who include legendary musicians Stevie Wonder, B.B.