All it took to propel Future Islands from a moderately successful indie band promoting their fourth album to an international pop juggernaut was one Letterman performance.
The combination of a hooky, Eurythmics-sounding song, and some truly manic dance moves (and growls) from frontman Sam Herring saw the video go viral overnight, and a whole bunch of people go, “Good tune, I wonder what else they have?”
This attention saw their 2014 album Singles break through in a big way, and found them touring the world, including a memorable run of Aussie shows. Now it’s 2017 and the guys are back with both a new album, The Far Field, which is out today, and another Australian tour – performing at this year’s Splendour In The Grass.
The Far Field features a pop gem tucked away towards the end of the album: a duet with one Debbie Harry, who is currently in Australia as timing would have it.
Enjoy the track below, which features the rather lovely lyric, “A melody that trails and falls, yet never fully blooms, plays like an old song that’s just out of tune.”
