Bastille announce new album ‘Give Me The Future’ and share new track ‘No Bad Days’
'Give Me The Future' is described as a tribute to humanity in the age of technology, and living "through times that can feel like science fiction"
By Jen Thomas
Bastille have announced the title and release date for their next album, ‘Give Me The Future’, due for release on February 4, 2022.
To tide fans over until then, the current Rolling Stone UK cover stars have released a new single ‘No Bad Days’, with a directorial debut video from frontman Dan Smith.
The latest release comes after Bastille previously teased an announcement on social media, prompting fans to wonder if the fourth album was imminent.
Watch the video below:
‘Give Me The Future’ is described as a tribute to humanity in the age of technology, and living “through times that can feel like science fiction.”
The band originally came up with the idea before the pandemic hit.
Dan said: “Working on these songs in such an apocalyptic period, with everyone stuck at home, glued to screens, fed into the feeling that what is real and what is not has become pretty difficult to discern sometimes.”
He added: “We’re in the age of deep fake, fake news and lying world leaders. But online, you can be anyone. What that does to our sense of self and to our relationships is huge and it’s fascinating.”
Lyrically, there are plenty of references to science fiction, films and literature, video games and virtual reality.
‘No More Bad Days’ follows up ‘Thelma & Louise’, a tribute to the film on the 20th anniversary of its release.
The new video sees Smith in a laboratory, using technology to try and bring a lost loved one back to the land of the living with nods to ‘Ex Machina’ and ‘The Matrix’.
Dan said: “It’s really satisfying to have finally directed, and I’m really proud of the little film we made. I grew up with film as my main obsession, so this was a bit of a dream. I learned a shitload and it was good to be challenged in a new way.”
This album is the first Bastille record to feature collaborations. Produced by Smith with Mark Crew, they also teamed up with other writers and producers.
Distorted Light Beam was co-written with Ryan Tedder, and Thelma + Louise, Stay Awake and Back To The Future were co-written with legendary songwriter Rami Yacoub (Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time”, Lady Gaga’s Chromatica Album).
Dan said: “I’m just observing the truly weird times we’re living in and having fun responding to it through these songs.”
He added: “As the final track “Who Knows What the Future Holds… Don’t Matter If I Got You” says, this is happening, whether we like it or not. Finding happiness in the moment is surely the aim, whether it’s in the real or virtual world.”
See the tracklisting below:
“GIVE ME THE FUTURE”
- Distorted Light Beam
- Thelma + Louise
- No Bad Days
- Brave New World (Interlude)
- Back To The Future
- Plug In…
- Promises (by Riz Ahmed)
- Shut Off The Lights
- Stay Awake?
- Give Me The Future
- Club 57
- Total Dissociation (Interlude)
- Future Holds (feat. BIM)