01 February 2024
Newsdesk
STRFKR’s road to their next album continues with their latest release - new single ‘Under Water / In Air’. Doing what they do best, the single is a dose of weightless indie-pop and a masterclass in uplifting musical craftsmanship. The track is joined by its surreal animated music video, directed and animated by regular STRFKR collaborator, Edward Monaghan. This is their last single before they release their next album, Parallel Realms, out on March 1st via Polyvinyl Records.
On the single, Josh Hodges (vocals, synths, guitar, drums) shared: "Under Water / In Air" is kind of a playful mellow 80s ballad inspired song. It was probably one of the most collaborative songs on the record. It started with an idea of Keil’s that I expanded on then Arian added the guitars which made it come together and feel complete”
‘Under Water / In Air’ comes before STRFKR’s next album, Parallel Realms, due for release on March 1st via Polyvinyl Records. Across their career and with each project they have released STRFKR have allowed themselves to explore a range of musical avenues, Parallel Realms is no different. The record is an outlier in regard to the band’s approach, now very purposefully relieving the pressure they usually apply when writing and recording, they have instead leant into more relaxed writing sessions and even handed over mixing duties to Chris Coady (Beach House, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blonde Redhead), reportedly the most hands-off they have ever been in the final step of any of their records. This followed Parallel Realms’ tendency toward collective creation, and Coady’s mixing rivalled anything the band had achieved before. The rhythm sections are huge, the hooks are crystalline, and the entire album gels into a cohesive, dynamic whole. Gone are any hints of “indie” calibre production; these songs sound enormous, with a level of glitter that contends with modern commercial radio hits. Streamlined and immediate, the album compiles STRFKR’s 15 plus years of artistic growth without forfeiting any of the perspective they’ve gained along the way. It’s their clearest, most organised, and most exciting work yet.
Parallel Realms
1. Always / Never
2. Holding On
3. interspace 2
4. Feelings
5. Together Forever
6. Under Water / In Air
7. Armatron
8. interspace 3
9. Chizzlers
10. interspace 4
11. Running Around
12. Carnival
13. Lot Of Nice Things
14. interspace 5
15. Waited For It
16. Something To Prove
17. Leaving
Forming in 2007, STRFKR started as a solo project by Joshua Hodges but quickly grew into a fully realised band with Keil Corcoran, Shawn Glassford, and Arian Jalali. Beginning with the mission of creating engaging, thought-provoking songs that people could dance to, STRFKR’s style has developed and been gradually perfected into one that hides emotional complexities and existential searching in hyper-catchy, melody-forward pop music. The band released one full length and one EP before signing on with Polyvinyl in 2010, at which point they had already made a name for themselves via worldwide touring, but that growth only continued. The band grew commercially and creatively with every new album, with 2011’s Reptilians, 2013’s Miracle Mile, and 2016’s Being No One, Going Nowhere all performing strongly enough to crack various Billboard charts, while multiple STRFKR songs were used in highly visible film, television, and streaming productions. Over the years and through the course of a discography, STRFKR have remained a consistent success with critical music listeners and show-goers.
With a diverse catalogue that reaches back almost 15 years, STRFKR’s live show is still where a good amount of the magic happens, as each of their albums has no shortage of crowd favourites and verifiable hits. The band’s work ethic both in the studio and on the road has kept them on a steady climb, consistently playing venues on the level of legendary rooms like New York City's Terminal 5, Stubbs’ in Austin, and the legendary 9:30 Club in DC while using any available downtime to work towards the next recording. With the new record fast approaching, STRFKR are sure to continue bringing their fabled live show to admirers around the world. STRFKR will be touring the US throughout 2024 in celebration of the release, see dates below
STRFKR 2024 US Tour
Thursday 14th March - SXSW (DJ Set) - Austin, Texas
Thursday 4th April - The Observatory - Santa Ana, California*
Friday 5th April - Pappy & Harriet’s - Pioneertown, California*
Saturday 6th April - The Sound - San Diego, CA* [SOLD OUT]
Sunday 7th April - Rialto Theater - Tucson, AZ*
Tuesday 9th April - The Aztec Theatre - San Antonio, Texas*
Thursday 11th April - Emo’s - Austin, Texas*
Friday 12th April - The Factory in Deep Ellum - Dallas, Texas*
Saturday 13th April - White Oak Music Hall (Downstairs) - Houston, Texas*
Monday 15th April - Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, Georgia*
Tuesday 16th April - The Orange Peel - Asheville, North Carolina*
Wednesday 17th April - The National - Richmond, Virginia*
Thursday 18th April - Brooklyn Steel - Brooklyn, New York* [SOLD OUT]
Friday 19th April - Royale - Boston, Massachusetts*
Saturday 20th April - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC* [SOLD OUT]
Sunday 21st April - Brooklyn Steel - Brooklyn, NY*
Tuesday 23rd April - Union Transfer - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania*
Wednesday 24th April - Newport Music Hall - Columbus, Ohio*
Thursday 25th April - Majestic Theatre - Detroit, Michigan*
Friday 26th April - Salt Shed (Indoor) - Chicago, Illinois*
Saturday 27th April - First Avenue - Minneapolis, Minnesota*
Sunday 28th April - Admiral Theater - Omaha, NE*
Tuesday 30th April - Ogden Theatre - Denver, Colorado* [SOLD OUT]
Wednesday 1st May - The Rockwell at The Complex - Salt Lake City, Utah*
Thursday 2nd May - Brooklyn Bowl - Las Vegas, Nevada*
Friday 3rd May - The Bellwether - Los Angeles, California*
Thursday 25th July - Knitting Factory - Spokane, Washington^
Friday 26th July - Showbox Sodo - Seattle, Washington^
Monday 29th July - Knitting Factory - Boise, Idaho^
Tuesday 30th July - The Mangy Moose - Jackson, Wyoming^
Wednesday 31st July - The Wilma - Missoula, Montana^
Friday 2nd August - The Elm - Bozeman, Montana^
Saturday 3rd August - Pub Station Ballroom - Billings, Montana^
Sunday 4th August - Mishawaka Amphitheatre - Mishawaka, Colorado^
Monday 5th August - Summit - Denver, Colorado^
Wednesday 7th August - El Rey Theatre - Albuquerque, New Mexico^
Thursday 8th August - Van Buren - Phoenix, Arizona^
Friday 9th August - The Sound - San Diego, California^
(*) with Ruth Radelet
(^) w/ Ruth Radelet, Holy Wave
