Foals: 2019

Foals didn’t deliberately plan to release two albums in 2019. But as the Oxford, England-bred band prepared for its fifth album, they realized that they had so many diverse songs that they liked, that it made more sense to split their ideas into two distinct releases. The first chapter of that double album, the more keyboard-driven Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost, Part 1, was released in March with its companion, Part 2, to arrive this autumn.

It was also a period of transition for Foals, the first time recording without bassist Walter Gervers who left the band amicably in early 2018. By producing both new albums and recalibrating themselves as a quartet, Foals singer and lyricist Yannis Philippakis thinks that Foals is primed to move forward with a fresh angle on their studio work and electrifying live shows.

I recently chatted with Philippakis in a midtown Manhattan studio about Foals’ grand new project and his lyrics, which touch on dystopian themes of climate change and political upheaval. Philippakis and the band also treated us to live songs from Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost, Part 1.

[Interview recorded 2/5/19 at Premier Studios; Producer: Sarah Wardrop]