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Jan 11, 2023 By Mark Redfern Photography by Molly Daniel

British psychedelic pop four-piece Temples have announced a new album, Exotico, and shared its first single, “Gamma Rays,” via a music video. Exotico is due out April 14 via ATO. Molly Daniel directed the “Gamma Rays” video. Check it out below, followed by the album’s tracklist and cover art, as well as the band’s upcoming tour dates.

In a press release Temples frontman James Bagshaw had this to say about “Gamma Rays” (which alas isn’t about The Incredible Hulk, who got his powers from gamma rays): “In the verse lyrics we’re talking about the grandness of nature, And then the chorus flips that on its head, it sounds like a rejoiceful summer tune about soaking up the rays, but the truth is that soaking up gamma rays will kill you. So, it’s about that juxtaposition of beauty and danger that we often find in nature.”

Daniel had this to say about directing the video: “Filming in Benidorm was inspiring. It’s a very surreal and futuristic space—like Margate meets Vegas meets the end of the world! I wanted a video that felt fast-paced and took you on a journey through some great locations.”

Sean Ono Lennon produced Exotico, which was mixed by Dave Fridmann (Tame Impala, The Flaming Lips, MGMT).

In 2020 Temples shared a new song, “Paraphernalia,” that was also produced by Lennon and mixed by Fridmann, but isn’t featured on the new album.

Lennon’s band The Claypool Lennon Delirium is also on ATO and the two artists connected at the Desert Daze festival in 2019, although Lennon was already very much familiar with the band. “I’d always been a fan of the band. Had seen them play some pretty great shows over the years,” Lennon said in 2020.

Temples’ last album, Hot Motion, came out in 2019 via ATO (it was their first for the label). Hot Motion was the band’s third album and followed 2014’s debut album, Sun Structures, and 2017’s sophomore album, Volcano.

Temples’ full lineup is James Bagshaw (guitar, vocals) Tom Walmsley (bass guitar, backing vocals), Adam Smith (keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals), and Rens Ottink (drums and percussion).

Read our 2020 COVID-19 Quarantine Artist Check-In interview with Temples.

Read our 2019 My Favorite Album interview with Temples on Scott Walker.

Read our 2019 interview with Temples on Hot Motion.

Read our 2013 interview with Temples and our 2014 interview with the band. Also read our 2017 interview with Temples on Volcano.

Exotico Tracklist:

1. Liquid Air
2. Gamma Rays
3. Exotico
4. Sultry Air
5. Cicada
6. Oval Stones
7. Slow Days
8. Crystal Hall
9. Head in the Clouds
10. Giallo
11. Inner Space
12. Meet Your Maker
13. Time is a Light
14. Fading Actor
15. Afterlife
16. Movements of Time

Temples UK Tour Dates:

February:

1 - Birmingham, UK - The Castle and Falcon
2 - Manchester, UK - YES (The Pink Room)
3 - Leeds, UK - Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen
4 - Glasgow, UK - Stereo
5 - London, UK - Lafayette
6 - Cardiff, UK - Clwb Ifor Bach

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