Islands will return with their 10th album, What Occurs, on June 21st and marks a significant departure, with the band embracing a “live-off-the-floor approach that strips away extensive layers in favor of a raw, unmediated sound.”
Lead single “Drown A Fish” is a perfect first taste of the record, with an immediate steady-handed 70s rock and roll groove, balancing traces of glam rock and classic rock with Islands’ signature oddball charm. Nick Thorburn and co. are still penning some absolutely infectious and whip-smart indie rock/pop hooks as only they could.
Speaking on the track, Thorburn adds:
“In my opinion, a compelling story is always full of contradictions, and with ‘Drown A Fish’, I was looking to throw my hat in the ring of Pop Songs About Lovelorn Losers Who Couldn’t Buy a Clue to Save Their Life. I set out to write a song that laid bare a series of “ironic situations narrated by a delusional idiot”, because I think that’s more interesting than listening to an uplifting anthem about a flawless, self-empowered smartypants. We recorded the song as a quartet (the same lineup since 2013), by sitting together in one room—a tucked away studio on Vancouver Island—and playing the song live, in a single take. Like a rock and roll band should! We sat down in a circle, learned the song, and then immediately pressed record. And that’s what you hear.”
Enjoy a listen now below.
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