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FUTURE ISLANDS

Future Islands

People Who Aren't There Anymore

    Future Islands was never meant to last. After eighteen years and 1,400 live shows, Future Islands show they're not only still here, they're making the most powerful music of their fascinating, but unexpectedly long and storied career.

    For Future Islands, albums aren’t a static reflection of a moment in time, they are a fluid chapter in their lives that can change and mutate. People change and pull away. The band is no different, coming up against their future while staring at their past. They’re not the same people they were when Future Islands began nearly two decades ago. They are now spread about, some settled down and some still moving. People Who Aren’t There Anymore reflects the transience of a band’s existence; the rare privilege of travelling all over the world contrasting with the sadness of fleeting moments in and out people’s lives. Being everywhere but also nowhere. Remembering the lives lost and the living they’ll never see again, cherishing the present and being grateful for the past.

    Where they’ve pursued ever-higher energy anthems in the past, they’ve turned inward this time, and unlocked a new level of ferocity, delivering some of their most inspiring and most heartbreaking tracks by doing the opposite: taking their time, making each breath, each syllable, each cymbal crash count. The result is a powerful, defining statement from a group of musicians that have made the best album of their career.


    STAFF COMMENTS

    Barry says: I have to say that I never particularly got Future Islands before this album. I obviously acknowledged that they were good musicians, but I found that Herring's delivery was a little overwrought for the comparatively subtle instrumentals. For me, the rich, widescreen instrumentals on 'People Who Aren't There Anymore' are the *perfect* way to frame Herring's strong presence and results in by far their best LP to date.

    TRACK LISTING

    King Of Sweden
    The Tower
    Deep In The Night
    Say Goodbye
    Give Me The Ghost Back
    Corner Of My Eye
    The Thief
    Iris
    The Fight
    Peach
    The Sickness
    The Garden Wheel

    Future Islands

    The Far Field

    Future Islands are Samuel T. Herring (vocals, lyrics), William Cashion (bass, guitars) and Gerrit Whelmers (keyboards, programming).

    Recorded in Los Angeles with GRAMMY award-winning producer John Congleton at the legendary Sunset Sound (where everyone from The Beach Boys to Prince have laid down masterpieces), The Far Field’s twelve chest-pounding love songs and odes to the road brilliantly express the central themes the band have been exploring for the last decade: that there is power in emotional vulnerability, that one can find a way to laugh and cry in the same breath – and be stronger for it.

    The Far Field features string and horn arrangements by Patrick McMinn and is their first record to feature live drums by Michael Lowry, who joined the band prior to their sensational performance of ‘Seasons (Waiting On You)’ on David Letterman’s late night TV show and has remained a fixture since. Blondie’s Debbie Harry also makes a guest appearance, in a duet with Herring on penultimate track ‘Shadows’.

    STAFF COMMENTS

    Barry says: Whilst I know the lead singer of Future Islands has enchanted people with his 'Grandad after 7 sherries' stage-swagger, it is the music here that is truly the star (thank goodness). Slightly gothic atmospheres, soaring synths and plenty of late-80's plate reverbs. Dark but driven indie for the eye-makeup crowd.

    TRACK LISTING

    1. Aladdin
    2. Time On Her Side
    3. Ran
    4. Beauty Of The Road
    5. Cave
    6. Through The Roses
    7. North Star
    8. Ancient Water
    9. Candles
    10. Day Glow Fire
    11. Shadows
    12. Black Rose

    Future Islands

    As Long As You Are

      As Long As You Are looks to the past as well as the future, confronting old ghosts and embracing a new hope. It is an album about trust, full of honesty, redemption and “letting go”, allowing old wounds to heal and bringing painful chapters to a close.

      As Long As You Are also signals a new era for Future Islands. Drummer Mike Lowry officially joins as a fully-fledged member and songwriter bolstering the founding trio of William Cashion, Samuel T. Herring and Gerrit Welmers. Together, the four-piece took on official production duties for the first time, co-producing As Long As You Are with engineer Steve Wright at his Wrightway Studios in Baltimore. Their brand of new wave synth-pop full of bright melodies and heavenly choruses is as euphoric and uninhibitedly joyful as anything the band has done in their 14-year career.

      STAFF COMMENTS

      Barry says: There is something absolutely enthralling about Samuel T. Herring's on-stage dancing. We all know that, but it's with no small amount of joy that I can confirm the quality of the music is indeed up to the same high standards. Longing, wistful and emotive, with electronic synthy sections beautifully offset with the more driven anthemic material. 'As Long As You Are' is a triumph, and quite possibly the best work they've done.

      TRACK LISTING

      Glada
      For Sure
      Born In A War
      I Knew You
      City’s Face
      Waking
      The Painter
      Plastic Beach
      Moonlight
      Thrill
      Hit The Coast

      Future Islands

      Singles

        Future Islands release ‘Singles’, their debut album for 4AD and their boldest and most immediate work to date. The Baltimore trio consists of enigmatic frontman Sam Herring, bassist / guitarist William Cashion and keyboardist / guitarist / programmer Gerrit Welmers.

        Herring’s poetic tales of heartbreak, love and loss are up front and in high fidelity, thanks in part to a newfound creative partnership with producer Chris Coady (Beach House, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Grizzly Bear).

        Future Islands head on a short tour in February, including soldout shows lined up in LA, New York, London and Baltimore. No strangers to life on the road (the band play over 200 shows a year), they have announced an extensive North American tour throughout March and April, with European dates in May.

        The trio teamed up with longtime collaborator Jay Buim, who created the music video for ‘Singles’ opener ‘Seasons (Waiting On You)’. An honest and intimate look at the American heartland, the video was filmed in the Great Plains. It documents a real life love story, the modern cowboy way of life and captures the landscapes that personify America. It follows a string of videos Buim has shot for the band (‘Tin Man’, ‘Balance’ and ‘Grease’) that convey the same sense of honesty, beauty and earnestness that are the cornerstones of Future Islands’ music.

        ‘Singles’ is the band’s fourth full-length album, following ‘On The Water’ (Thrill Jockey, 2011), which garnered a Best New Track nod from Pitchfork for the song ‘Balance’, and ‘In Evening Air’ (Thrill Jockey, 2010).


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