Future Islands have shared a video for “Glada,” a song from their newest albumAs Long As You Are. The video, filmed on the Swedish countryside, was directed by actress Julia Ragnarsson, and edited by visual artist Ponyhans. More
Future Islands released a new album, As Long As You Are, last fall via 4AD (it was one of our Top 100 Albums of 2020). Now they have done a Tiny Desk (Home) Concert for NPR Music, performing four songs remotely at Carroll Baldwin Memorial Hall, which is outside of their home base of Baltimore. More
Future Islands released a new album, As Long As You Are, last fall via 4AD. Last night they were the musical guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers, in which they performed the album’s “Plastic Beach.” They have also shared a nine-minute remix of “For Sure” by Dan Deacon (who is also based in Baltimore). More
Includes Their Self-Titled Debut, Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers, and Cherry Tree EP
Nov 24, 2020By Joey Arnone
The National are putting out remastered reissues of their earliest material, which includes their self-titled debut album from 2001, their sophomore album Sad Songs For Dirty Loversfrom 2003, and 2004’s Cherry Tree EP. All three releases have been remastered at Abbey Road Studios and will be out February 26, 2021 via 4AD. More
Plus Jesse Kivel, Lost Horizons, Midnight Sister, TRAAMS, and a Wrap-up of the Last Two Weeks’ Other Notable New Tracks
Oct 09, 2020By Christopher Roberts
Welcome to the 39th Songs of the Week of 2020. We skipped Songs of the Week last week because we had other plans last Friday, so this week’s list covers two weeks worth of songs. More
Future Islands are releasing a new album, As Long As You Are, tomorrow via 4AD. Last night they were the musical guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, in which they did a captivating performance of the album’s “For Sure.” More
Welcome to Why Not Both Wednesdays. Every week, in partnership with the Why Not Bothpodcast, we’ll be presenting new podcast episodes that explore how multiple passions inform the inspiring lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives. This week, William Cashion of Future Islands tells us about leading both ambient and pop lives. More
Future Islands are releasing a new album, As Long As You Are, on Friday via 4AD. Now they have shared another new song from it, “Born in a War,” via an animated video for it. The song takes on capitalism and the military industrial complex. More
Plus Tim Heidecker, Sufjan Stevens, Future Islands, and a Wrap-up of the Week’s Other Notable New Tracks
Sep 18, 2020By Christopher Roberts
Welcome to the 37th Songs of the Week of 2020. Just as we were finishing up this week’s list we got word that beloved Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died. As if 2020 couldn’t get any worse. R.I.P. a true legend, the Notorious RBG. More
Future Islands are releasing a new album, As Long As You Are, on October 9 via 4AD. Now they have shared another new song from it, “Moonlight,” via a video for it. More
Plus Marie Davidson, The Flaming Lips, TRAAMS, Future Islands, and a Wrap-up of the Week’s Other Notable New Tracks
Aug 14, 2020By Christopher Roberts (with Jennifer Irving)
Welcome to the 32nd Songs of the Week of 2020. This week’s big political news was Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden announcing his highly capable running mate, Senator Kamala Harris. More
Plus My Morning Jacket, Liv.e, Travis, and a Wrap-up of the Week’s Other Notable New Tracks
Jul 10, 2020By Christopher Roberts (with Samantha Small and Julian Roberts-Grmela)
Welcome to the 27th Songs of the Week of 2020. There was a brief time when maybe one could have felt cautiously optimistic about the coronavirus, when it felt like it was okay to at least leave the house and interact with people outdoors in a socially distant way, but now it’s all feeling dire again, with COVID-19 cases soaring across the land. And we know who to blame. More
Future Islands are back with a new song, “For Sure,” shared via a video. The song features backing vocals from Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak and Flock of Dimes. More
Plus Nap Eyes, Jay Som, Wye Oak, Glass Animals, and a Wrap-up of the Week’s Other Notable New Tracks
Feb 21, 2020By Christopher Roberts
Welcome to the seventh Songs of the Week of 2020. Since Monday was President's Day here in America, it should've been a less busy week for new tracks, but there was still plenty to choose from and this week we've got 12 songs that we consider the week's best. More
A Western Circular Due Out April 3 via Weird World
Feb 18, 2020By Christopher Roberts
Wilma Archer (aka Will Archer, who used to release music as Slime) is putting out a new album, A Western Circular, on April 3 via Domino imprint Weird World. Now he has shared another song from it, "Decades," which features guest vocals from Laura Groves and Future Islands'Samuel T. Herring. More
Plus Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Ryley Walker, Arctic Monkeys, and a Wrap-up of the Last Two Weeks' Other Notable New Tracks
May 18, 2018By Christopher Roberts
We skipped Songs of the Week last week for various reasons, but now we're back with two week's worth of songs. For that reason, this week it's a Top 15, instead of our usual Top 10. More
Swedish singer/songwriter Nina Kinert (who for awhile was just known as Nina K, but is now back to her full name) is releasing a new album, Romantic, tomorrow (May 11) via V2. Now she has shared the album's second single, "Chapped Lips," via a video for the song. More
Plus Tracyanne & Danny, Mass Gothic, Future Islands, Dirty Projectors, and a Wrap-up of the Week's Other Notable New Tracks
May 04, 2018By Christopher Roberts
Last week's Songs of the Week encompassed two week's worth of songs. This week we're back to normal. This week's list features lots of Songs of the Week alumni, with three of the top four being former #1s. More
There's No Leaving New York at Forest Hills Stadium September 29 and 30, Plus Band Have Launched Fan Club
Apr 09, 2018By Christopher Roberts
The National have announced a two-day live event at Forest Hills Stadium on September 29 and 30 that will features performances from the band as well as from Cat Power, Future Islands, U.S. Girls, Phoebe Bridges, Bully, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Cigarettes After Sex, and Adia Victoria. More
Another Dark Year Was Brightened By a Plethora of Fantastic Albums
Dec 30, 2017By Mark Redfern
2016 was regarded as a fairly rough year by many, but 2017 was no walk in the park either. 2016 was mired by the deaths of several beloved musical icons (David Bowie, Prince, Leonard Cohen, George Michael, and Sharon Jones among them) and the disappointing and divisive Presidential election, but in 2017 we had to deal with the ramifications of said election (we'd say that roughly 95% of the musicians we interview likely don't support many, if any, of President Trump's policies). More
Future Islands released a new album, The Far Field, back in April via 4AD. Now they have shared a video for "Beauty of the Road." Directed by Jay Buim, it fittingly features the band on the road, performing live at various concerts. Watch it below. More
Featuring Sharon Van Etten, Hercules & Love Affair, Radiohead, The Regrettes, and The War on Drugs
Jun 16, 2017By Stephen Mayne
The problem with politics, like too many other things, is that it moves so fast. This is exacerbated by a presidency that seems to go through crises like the average person goes through socks. More
Future Islands are releasing a new album, The Far Field, on April 7 via 4AD. Previously the band shared its first single "Ran." Last night the Baltimore-based trio stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to perform "Ran." More
Future Islands have announced a new album, The Far Field, and shared its first single "Ran." The Far Field is due out April 7 via 4AD. The band has also announced some tour dates. More
Plus Glass Animals, The Weeknd, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Car Seat Headrest, Kevin Morby, and Others
Jan 11, 2017By Christopher Roberts
Bonnaroo have announced their 2017 lineup. The festival goes down in Manchester, Tennessee from June 8-11 and this year, their 16th year, the lineup includes U2 performing The Joshua Tree (which was announced on Monday), More
Plus Father John Misty, Future Islands, The Avalanches, The xx, Bon Iver, New Order, Real Estate, Glass Animals, and Others
Jan 04, 2017By Christopher Roberts
Coachella has announced the line-up for their 2017 festival, which goes down in Indio, California over two weekends in April (with the same bill each weekend). Friday April 14 and 21 is headlined by Radiohead, Saturday April 15 and 22 is headlined by Beyoncé, and Sunday April 16 and 23 is headlined by Kendrick Lamar. More
Producer Clams Casino is releasing his debut full-length album, 32 Levels, on July 15 via Columbia. The album features A Rocky, Lil B, alt-J's Joe Newman, Sam Dew, Wet's Kelly Zutrau, Mikky Ekko, and others. More
Some Covers, Some Originals (+LCD Soundsystem and Will Butler)
Dec 31, 2015By Christopher Roberts
We here at Under the Radar are taking most of Christmas and New Year's off. Still, over the holiday a few notable artists have posted some Christmas songs (some covers, some originals) that we didn't have a chance to post and they are collected here. Included are Future Islands, Mac DeMarco, Lauryn Hill, Miley Cyrus (with a little help from The Flaming Lips), Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz, LCD Soundsystem, and Will Butler. More
Future Islands' Samuel T. Herring is no stranger to the hip-hop game and has performed before under his rapper name Hemlock Ernst. But now he's taken it a step further and teamed up with Madlib as Trouble Knows Me. More
Future Islands have shared a video for "A Song For Your Grandfathers," another song from their acclaimed 2014 album Singles. The video was shared in honor of Father's Day this Sunday and was shot at a family reunion in North Carolina. More
As we previously reported last week, Future Islands have special plans for their 1,000th show. It'll take place July 26 in Carrboro, NC at Carrboro Town Commons (301 W Main Street, Carrboro, NC 27510). More
Future Islands may have caught the nation's attention thanks to their amazing David Letterman performance last year and racked up critical raves for 2014's Singles, but before all that they were (and still are) a hard working band who toured a whole bunch. Apparently they've been keeping track of just how many shows they've played and next month they will be hitting four digits. Future Islands have special plans for their 1,000th show. It'll take place July 26 in Carrboro, NC at Carrboro Town Commons (301 W Main Street, Carrboro, NC 27510). More
Proceeds from eBay Auction Go to The Baltimore Community Foundation
May 07, 2015By Christopher Roberts
Future Islands may not be from Baltimore, but they've long made the city their home and been part of its thriving music scene (along with Dan Deacon, Beach House, and others). No doubt they were dismayed by the recent riots in Baltimore and have now launched an eBay auction, with proceeds going to The Baltimore Community Foundation. More
Samuel T. Herring Dedicates Song to People of Baltimore
Apr 29, 2015By Mike Hilleary
Returning to the place that finally granted them their long, sought-after breakthrough moment, Baltimore's Future Islands were welcomed as the musical guest on David Letterman's Late Show last night where they performed their brand new single, "The Chase." More
Still enjoying the fruits of success from their critically acclaimed album Singles, Future Islands have announced a number of new dates behind the LP. More
Last year, Future Islands put out our third favorite album, toured the globe, and basically forced the world to fall in love with the thing they’ve been doing for the last ten years. Now they’re taking on Austin City Limits.More
"Seasons (Waiting On You)" has certainly made an impact in 2014. Now, Toronto duo BADBADNOTGOOD have taken the Singles cut and completely reinterpreted it. More
Continuing support of their standout record SinglesBaltimore trio Future Islands have announced that they have added additional tour dates to their existing calendar of shows. More
Baltimore's energetic synthpop band Future Islands continue their tour in support of their excellent album Singles, which came out earlier this year on 4AD. Last night, Samuel T. Herring showcased his signature moves and otherworldly voice onLater With Jools Holland in the U.K. More
Future Islands, who are currently in the midst of a lengthy tour, stopped by Montreal last night and received an assist from the city’s own Win Butler. More
Releasing their highly successful new album Singlesnot too long ago, Future Islands have premiered a brand new remix of the featured track "Doves." More
Also featuring interviews with Slowdive, Slow Club, First Aid Kit, Lykke Li, James McAvoy, The Horrors, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The War on Drugs vs. Sharon Van Etten, and More
Last night Future Islands were welcomed as the musical on Jimmy Kimmel Live, performing the tracks "Doves" and "Spirit" off their breakthrough LP Singles. More
Recently releasing their much-loved new album Singles, Future Islands have become the latest subject of a short documentary filmed by Yours Truly. More
You know how when you combine two things that you love, like chocolate and peanut butter, you get a third amazing thing—like a peanut butter cup? That’s exactly how we feel about Slow Club’s cover of Future Islands single, “Seasons (Waiting on You).” More
Poised to release their forthcoming album Singles on March 25, Future Islands appeared as the musical on Dave Letterman's Late Show last night where they performed the record's lead single "Seasons (Waiting for You)."More
Lineups Also Includes We Were Promised Jetpacks, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Yamantaka//Sonic Titan, Connan Mockasin, Arthur Beatrice, Gruff Rhys, The Mary Onettes, Small Black, Thumpers, Woman's Hour, and Others
Plus: Twin Sister, Avi Buffalo, Purity Ring, and Others
Sep 05, 2011By Christopher Roberts
On Saturday September 3, the eight annual FYF Fest went down at Los Angeles’ State Historic Park in Downtown L.A. We sent writer/photographer Laura Studarus down to cover the action.More
Band Announce Lengthy North American Tour Supporting Upcoming LP On the Water
Aug 30, 2011By John Everhart
Baltimore's Future Islands have released the video for "Balance," a track from their forthcoming full-length On the Water, due October 11 on Thrill Jockey. We have the clip and the details of their forthcoming U.S. tour. More
Under the Radar's Summer 2010 issue is a special issue we're calling the Wasted on the Youth Issue. The basic idea of the issue was to talk to musicians and actors about various facets of their childhood/teenage years, from their first favorite bands/concerts to childhood memories to movies/TV shows of their youth, etc. We were interested in talking to musicians and actors about some of their earliest memories and their childhood passions. Many of the articles include childhood or teenage photos of the musicians interviewed. We have the full details on the issue that includes these artists: The National, The Antlers, Fred Armisen, Camera Obscura, Judah Friedlander, Fucked Up vs. Devo, Here We Go Magic, Jim James, Jónsi, Kele, The Kids in the Hall, Liars, Local Natives, Menomena, Chloë Grace Moretz, Elisabeth Moss, Portishead, Robert Rodriguez, School of Seven Bells, Tegan and Sara, Russell Tovey, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Edgar Wright, and many more! More
After plenty of speculation, the lineup for 2010’s Jelly Pool Parties (a free concert held Sundays at Williamsburg Waterfront) has finally been announced. We have the full details. More
Future Islands frontman Samuel T. Herring is in a good mood. He punctuates his sentences with laughter, and even across an occasionally static phone connection (Herring is driving a rented tour van from Florida to Maryland before the band embarks on the next leg of shows) you can almost hear his wide grin. More
It's the night after Future Islands' network television debut on The Late Show, and David Letterman is trying not to laugh. "Let's dance!" he declares, after a joke about a candy store falls flat. The shot cuts to footage from the band's performance, featuring frontman Samuel T. Herring's theatrical, sidestepping dance moves. More
Featuring Arthur Beatrice, Casual Sex, Connan Mockasin, Future Islands, Glass Animals, Saintseneca, San Fermin, Vaadat Charigim, Woman’s Hour, and Yamantaka // Sonic Titan
Aug 26, 2014By Austin Trunick
Arthur Beatrice, Casual Sex, Connan Mockasin, Future Islands, Glass Animals, Saintseneca, San Fermin, Vaadat Charigim, Woman's Hour, and Yamantaka // Sonic Titan all discuss playing SXSW for the first ever time this year. More
Can you have too much of a good thing? Future Islands presumably don’t think so, judging by their 10+ years as America’s most predictably consistent band. Over the last decade, frontman Samuel T Herring and his bandmates developed a distinctive brand of wistful synthpop that took them from obscurity to international acclaim without compromise. More
No one in recent memory has crushed a late-night TV performance the way Future Islands did with "Seasons (Waiting on You)" on The Late Show with David Letterman in 2014, in support that year's album, Singles. More
Los Angelenos are accustomed to traffic, but not the foot kind. All the bread lines in communist Russia can't compare to the queue clogging up the sidewalk perimeter of Exposition Park at the start of the 11th annual FYF Festival. (Keen observation by Real Estate bassist Alex Bleeker: "'FYF festival' is a little redundant isn't it, like 'ATM machine.'") More
Future Islands at The Southern Café and Music Hall, Charlottesville, VA, March 23, 2014
Mar 25, 2014By Cody Ray Shafer
It's been a pretty great month for Future Islands. It started with a now-viral performance on Letterman, followed by a buzz-worthy string of shows at SXSW (including our own showcase), and now they're kicking off their cross-country tour to support their latest album, Singles, which dropped this week. More
Singles is the kind of step forward a psychedelic indie band could take to bring itself into a bigger spotlight. Future Islands deserves that kind of attention, and though it's understandable that Samuel Herring's dramatic growl might not be for everyone, the first line of this album might just change minds. More
Future Islands' second album In Evening Air neatly sidesteps the clichéd sophomore slump via a quantum leap in sheer songwriting erudition and heightened band cohesiveness. More
