Foals have announced UK tour dates as well as returning with new single ‘Exits’ – the first taster from their upcoming two albums ‘Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost’ Part 1 and 2.
Watch our exclusive interview with the band above.
Launched with the retro-futuristic Albert Moya-directed video for the explosive ‘Exits’, ‘Part 1’ of their duo of new records will arrive on March 8 – before a massive UK tour in June including a show at London’s Alexandra Palace. ‘Part 2’ will follow in the Autumn.
Speaking to NME, the band said that having given their new songs space to breathe across two albums allowed for more ‘coherence’ as well as diversity – and that producing it themselves created an “undiluted image of what we wanted.”
“The lyrical threads are through both records,” frontman Yannis Philippakis told NME. “It’s not yin and yang or anything corny like that. You can also tell that it’s a band working in the same space over the same period of time. If you were to put it crudely, the first record is probably more keyboard-driven and has slightly more of a new wave feel to it. Then album two has more of the heavier rock frenetic energy. ”
Drummer Jack Bevan agreed: “It felt like the fight in between the members of the band in order to edit it into the size of one album would have just been too brutal.
“The tracks work together. There are a lot of pairings on both records, and little groups of tracks that are friends to each other.”
As for new single ‘Exits’, the band said that the track conjures the imagery of a dystopian future in an M.C. Escher-esque landscape – playing on the “millennial nightmare” represented throughout the album.
“It sets the tone for that first record in certain ways,” said Yannis . “It feels like the centre-piece of that album. We thought it was a fresh take, and we always like to come back with a song that slightly curveballs.
“Lyrically, it feels pertinent to what’s going on. It will resonate culturally in a way that certain other songs that feel more introverted wouldn’t.”
Artwork by Vicente Muñoz.
Speaking to NME back in 2017, the band said that they needed a ‘violent change‘ to occur in order to progress. Unexpectedly, that came when bassist Walter Gervers amicably left the band.
“We had to recalibrate,” said Yannis of Gervers’ departure. “It was challenging, but it was also exciting. We couldn’t just rely on the old methods in the way that we’ve written. Going to Oxford and just bashing things out in a room wasn’t going to work in the same way. That spurred us on to approach it different.”
Bevan went on: “If you were to look at it as a family, and I’ve seen about 100 times more of these guys than I have my actual family over the last 10 years, then Walter was kind of like the dad or much older brother who kept us from fighting with each other. A lot of the time, he was the one who would organise us to do nice and wholesome activities.”
How wholesome?
“Well, the pub is about as wholesome as it got,” replied Philippakis.
After making more of an effort to socialise and “re-learn how to be at home and be mates”, the band’s strengthened chemistry propelled them to make the most ambitious album of their career.
Yannis continued: “He was probably the nicest member of Foals, so without him, you’re left with four sharp edges in a room. Those sharp edges have to find a way to get on quite quickly or the whole thing turns into an unbearable nightmare.”
He added: “In terms of the writing of the record, it wasn’t a problem. With no disrespect to Walt, we cruised through it!”
Watch our full video interview with the band at the top of the page
Foals’ upcoming UK tour dates are:
Tickets are on sale from 9am on Friday January 25 and will be available here.
JUNE
11 – Manchester, O2 Victoria Warehouse
14 – Tunbridge Wells, Bedgebury Pinetum
15 – Birmingham, Digbeth Arena
18 – Glasgow, SWG3 Yard
20 – Thetford, Thetford Forest
21 – London, Alexandra Palace
26 – Bournemouth, International Centre
The tracklist of ‘Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost’ is:
1. ‘Moonlight’
2. ‘Exits’
3. ‘White Onions’
4. ‘In Degrees’
5. ‘Syrups’
6. ‘On The Luna’
7. ‘Cafe D’Athens’
8. ‘Surf Pt.1’
9. ‘Sunday’
10. ‘I’m Done With The World (& It’s Done With Me)’