FUTURE ISLANDS Announce New Album 'People Who Aren't There Anymore'

Less than two months following the final tour date of their As Long As You Are tour, Future Islands announce the details of their new album People Who Aren't There Anymore which will be released January 26, 2024.

The seventh album from the band - Samuel T. Herring (vocals, lyrics), William Cashion (bass, guitars), Gerrit Welmers (keyboards, programming), and Michael Lowry (drums) - follows 2020's As Long As You Are. People Who Aren't There Anymore heralds a new chapter for Future Islands who, despite having formed nearly two decades ago, continue to challenge themselves and each other.

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.

Along with the announcement, the band shares a new single from the album, “The Tower”, alongside a video directed by Jonathan van Tulleken (Top Boy, Shogun). This marks the second project Van Tulleken and Herring have worked on together — the two collaborated on Apple TV's The Changeling, whose first season aired this Fall. On working with Herring on the show and with the band on the “The Tower” video, van Tulleken says, 

“Anyone who's seen Sam on stage shape shift with his whole body and voice from heart wrenchingly tender to fantastically ferocious knows that he is a truly, magnetic, performer. This was no small reason why he was cast for a role in The Changeling where he plays a complex character who appears to be one thing whilst actually another.

It was a role that would be no easy task for even the most seasoned actor but Sam, applying all his stage craft, charisma, smarts and natural empathy, absolutely nailed it producing a riveting performance. I loved working with someone who came to acting via this persona they had built in their music. To then get to collaborate on a music video with the band was a delight especially one which explores that duality of light and dark literally and metaphorically. Finding that same captivating, haunting, performance but this time with the track as script.”

The track follows previously released singles ‘“Deep In The Night”, “King of Sweden” and “Peach”, which also feature on People Who Aren't There Anymore. 

People Who Aren't There Anymore was co-produced by Future Islands and Steve Wright, and mixed by Steve Wright and Chris Coady (who returns to working with the band for the first time since 2014's Singles).

People Who Aren't There Anymore will be released on January 26, 2024 and will be available digitally, on CD and cassette, and on standard back vinyl, transparent vinyl (indie retail only), and yellow & black ‘yolk' vinyl with alternative artwork (4AD/D2C Exclusive). For pre-order information head HERE.

Photo by Frank Hamilton