Future Islands

Future Islands are an American group formed in Greenville, North Carolina in 2006 and later based in Baltimore, Maryland. Their line-up centres on William Cashion, Samuel T. Herring, Moss of Aura and Michael Lowry. The group’s sound sits around new wave and synth-pop, with post-punk revival elements, and they describe their music as “post-wave”, linking the romanticism of new wave with the force of post-punk.

Formation and early years

The band forms out of a shared period studying art at East Carolina University. Before Future Islands, Cashion, Herring and keyboard player Gerrit Welmers play in Art Lord & The Self-Portraits, a project that also includes Adam Beeby and Kymia Nawabi and runs from 2003 to 2005. Future Islands begins in 2006 with Cashion, Herring and Welmers, alongside Erick Murillo on bass. After an early period in Greenville, the group moves to Baltimore in late 2007 and early 2008. Murillo leaves after a Halloween party in 2007.

Line-up changes and related projects

Welmers handles keyboards and programming, Cashion plays bass and acoustic and electric guitars, and Herring contributes lyrics and vocals. Michael Lowry joins on percussion in 2020. Former members include Samuel N. Ortiz-Payero on drums in 2008 and Denny Bowen on drums, first in the studio from 2009 to 2013 and then on tour from 2013 to 2014. Welmers also has a solo project called Moss of Aura, with which Future Islands release a self-released split CD in January 2007.

Recordings and releases

Future Islands release Little Advances in April 2006 and the split CD with Moss of Aura in January 2007. They record their debut album, Wave Like Home, in July 2007 at Backdoor Skateshop in Greenville with Chester Endersby Gwazda. The album appears on Upset! the Rhythm in 2008, with cover art by Kymia Nawabi. The “Feathers and Hallways” 7-inch is recorded in Oakland, California during the group’s first US tour and becomes their first release as a focused three-piece.

In 2009 the band signs to Thrill Jockey. In Evening Air follows in 2010, recorded in the band’s living room in Baltimore’s Marble Hill neighbourhood. On the Water is recorded at the historic Andrew S. Sanders House in Elizabeth City, North Carolina and released in 2011. The 2014 album Singles includes “Seasons (Waiting on You)”, a track that brings wider critical attention and leads to a performance on The Late Show with David Letterman that circulates widely. The group then releases The Far Field in 2017 and As Long As You Are in 2020.

Style and associations

Future Islands are associated with synth-pop, though they reject that label in favour of a broader post-wave identity. Their early work is often linked with the Wham City scene, alongside acts such as Videohippos, Santa Dads, Blood Baby, OCDJ, Adventure, Dan Deacon, Weekends and Double Dagger.