Future Islands Release New Album 'People Who Aren't There Anymore'

Future Islands have released their highly anticipated seventh album, People Who Aren't There Anymore (4AD) to critical praise.

This week, the band was featured on Broken Record, performed live and was interviewed for WNYC's All Of It Live Listening Party, played SiriusXM and WFUV, took over the Tower Record's creative space the Tower Lab and performed “The Tower” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Next week, the band heads to the UK for a Channel 4 Sunday Brunch performance on January 28th, two Banquet Records (Kingston) in-stores on January 30th and a BBC Radio 4 Loose Ends session.

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.

The album delivers some of their most inspiring and heartbreaking tracks by doing the opposite: taking their time, and making each breath, syllable and cymbal crash count. The result is a powerful, defining statement from a group of musicians that have made the best work of their career.

People Who Aren't There Anymore was co-produced by Future Islands and Steve Wright. It was mixed by Wright and Chris Coady, who hadn't worked with the band since 2014's Singles. It is 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). 

In the lead up to the album's release, Future Islands debuted the Jonathan van Tulleken (Top Boy, Shogun)-directed video for album track “The Tower” and videos by Jayla Smith for both the sensual, synth-based groove “The Fight” and “Say Goodbye,” an examination of a long distance relationship unravelling. Prior to announcing the album, the band also released eventual album tracks ‘“Deep in the Night”, “King of Sweden” and “Peach”.

Future Islands have announced dates in South America this spring, and festivals in the UK & Europe this summer with more dates to be announced.  

Future Islands is Samuel T. Herring (vocals, lyrics), William Cashion (bass, guitars), Gerrit Welmers (keyboards, programming) and Michael Lowry (drums).

Future Islands on tour

3/16 - Guadalajara, Mexico - Teatro Studio

3/17 - Mexico City, Mexico - Vive Latino Festival

3/19 - Lima, Peru - Centro de Convenciones Barranco

3/21 - Bogota, Colombia - Estereo Picnic Festival

5/23 - South Derbyshire, UK - Bearded Theory

5/25 - Leeds, UK - Live at Leeds in The Park

7/26 - Southwold, UK - Latitude Festival

7/30 - Glasgow, UK - Kelvingrove Bandstand

8/4 - Waterford, Ireland - All Together Now

8/2 - Katowice, Poland - OFF Festival 

8/5 - Lokeren, Belgium - Lokerse Festival 

Photo by Frank Hamilton

To post a comment, you must register and login.