30 Days, 30 Artists
Future Islands make SXSW debut with romantic, theatrical synth-pop
Name: Future Islands
Featured tracks: “Seasons (Waiting on You)” from Singles
City of origin: Baltimore, Maryland
Genre: Electro-pop
In one sentence: “Buddy! C’mon. Nice going! How about that? I’ll take all of that ya got … That was wonderful! That was awesome!” –David Letterman’s response after Future Islands made their network television debut on “Late Show” on March 3
Why we chose them: Synth-pop, post-wave, dance-punk — call Future Islands' icy electronic tunes what you will. What truly sets this Baltimore band apart is frontman Samuel T. Herring’s ability to transform those songs into epic explorations of romance and loss, pleasure and heartache. Packing a physical, theatrical performance style unmatched in the electronic music world, Herring and his longtime bandmates William Cashion and Gerritt Welmers look to break big with the new album, Singles, out March 25 on indie powerhouse 4AD, and a total of seven SXSW shows for a festival debut.
SXSW official showcase: 12 am on Wednesday, March 12 at Haven; 1:00 am on Thursday, March 13 at Cheer Up Charlie’s