Mountain Natives

Mountain Natives is an indie folk band from Dallas.

Overcoming cancer has given Philip Pappas and his wife Loren a new vision for life. Upon graduating with a Bachelor’s in Physics, Philip Pappas hit a wall of sadness when he realized that he was doing it for monetary reasons and had never asked the Lord what HE wanted him to pursue. Deep down he had known the answer all along, but never felt worthy. So he stepped out in faith.

Three years ago at age 27, Philip met the woman who was to become his wife, and began playing music.

His soon-to-be fiance pointed out a mole on his shoulder and asked him to go to the dermatologist. The mole was more than twice the size it needed to be to metastasize and spread malignant melanoma throughout his body. It was cancerous, but where had the cancer spread? After a rally of prayer from loved ones, a surprised doctor sent Philip home from surgery with a 5-inch scar on his shoulder. The cancer was gone.

The music produced by Philip and Loren is not from a place of wallowing in the doubt of life or death. These “Essential” songs were born from a place of hope and gratitude. That hope is impressed on not just the ears but the heart of the listener. Hope for the miraculous. Philip and Loren want you to believe the impossible is possible. Mountains of adversity can be thrown into the sea.