Five years since Islands dropped their double-header of Should I Remain Here at Sea? and Taste, the band have finally announced a follow-up. Islomania is set for release on June 11 via new label home Royal Mountain Records, and lead single "(We Like To) Do It with the Lights On" is out now.
In a press release, bandleader Nick Thorburn revealed that the band had quietly broken up in 2016 following a pair of shows celebrating the 10th anniversary reissue of their debut, Return to the Sea, saying, "This seemed like a perfect time to put a cap on things and close out the circle."
After leaving the music industry for a year to pursue creative writing and film scoring, Thorburn began writing music again, leading to a burst in songwriting productivity and, ultimately, recording sessions with the band and producer Chris Coady, who had produced Islands' 2009 record, Vapours.
Thorburn hinted at Islands' return in a 2020 interview with The Best Show, where he claimed that he had "three records conceptualized." At the time, Thorburn said "the first one just needs to be mixed. The second one I'll start on. And the third one is written but hasn't been recorded yet."
Lead single "(We Like To) Do It with the Lights On" features slick pop production and funky guitar grooves. The accompanying video finds Thorburn dancing to the tune, with the song's title being embodied by stylized editing featuring stark costume and lighting changes, accompanied by dancer and choreographer Gigi Todisco.
Thorburn conceived the song title while working as a songwriter-for-hire following Islands' initial dissolution in 2016. He said, "I came up with the song title as a tossed-off joke. It seemed fitting with the kind of playful innuendo that seems to do well in the pop sphere. Once I started to flesh it out after booting up the band again, I realized it was mine, and for Islands only. I started it with the groove first, and built the melody off the top. This is like most of the songs on this record, which is new for me."
Watch the "(We Like To) Do It with the Lights On" video below, and keep scrolling for more info on Islomania.
Islomania:
1. Islomania
2. (We Like To) Do It with the Lights On
3. Carpenter
4. Closed Captioning
5. Set the Fairlight
6. A Passionate Age
7. Natural Law Party
8. Never Let You Down
9. Marble
10. Gore
Pre-order Islomania.
In a press release, bandleader Nick Thorburn revealed that the band had quietly broken up in 2016 following a pair of shows celebrating the 10th anniversary reissue of their debut, Return to the Sea, saying, "This seemed like a perfect time to put a cap on things and close out the circle."
After leaving the music industry for a year to pursue creative writing and film scoring, Thorburn began writing music again, leading to a burst in songwriting productivity and, ultimately, recording sessions with the band and producer Chris Coady, who had produced Islands' 2009 record, Vapours.
Thorburn hinted at Islands' return in a 2020 interview with The Best Show, where he claimed that he had "three records conceptualized." At the time, Thorburn said "the first one just needs to be mixed. The second one I'll start on. And the third one is written but hasn't been recorded yet."
Lead single "(We Like To) Do It with the Lights On" features slick pop production and funky guitar grooves. The accompanying video finds Thorburn dancing to the tune, with the song's title being embodied by stylized editing featuring stark costume and lighting changes, accompanied by dancer and choreographer Gigi Todisco.
Thorburn conceived the song title while working as a songwriter-for-hire following Islands' initial dissolution in 2016. He said, "I came up with the song title as a tossed-off joke. It seemed fitting with the kind of playful innuendo that seems to do well in the pop sphere. Once I started to flesh it out after booting up the band again, I realized it was mine, and for Islands only. I started it with the groove first, and built the melody off the top. This is like most of the songs on this record, which is new for me."
Watch the "(We Like To) Do It with the Lights On" video below, and keep scrolling for more info on Islomania.
Islomania:
1. Islomania
2. (We Like To) Do It with the Lights On
3. Carpenter
4. Closed Captioning
5. Set the Fairlight
6. A Passionate Age
7. Natural Law Party
8. Never Let You Down
9. Marble
10. Gore
Pre-order Islomania.