Future Islands

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Biography

Greenville, North Carolina, USA (2006 – present)

Future Islands is a new wave synthpop band based in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The band is composed of Gerrit Welmers (keyboards and programming), William Cashion (bass, acoustic and electric guitars), and Samuel T. Herring (lyrics and vocals). Their sound has been described as “terse yet passionate music wrought from a stripped back palette,” where “Gerrit Welmers’ synthesizer melodies tumble across the austere wilderness of William Cashion’s post-punk bass pulse, driven ever forward by ecstatic electronic rhythms”.

Future Islands is often associated with other bands affiliated with Wham City, such as videohippos, Santa Dads, Blood Baby, OCDJ, Adventure, Dan Deacon, Weekends, Double Dagger, and many others.

The band met and formed in Greenville, North Carolina, USA while studying art at East Carolina University. Their first band was Art Lord & the Self-Portraits, which was also composed of Adam Beeby and Kymia Nawabi and lasted from 2003 to 2005. In 2006, Cashion, Herring, and Welmers formed Future Islands, along with Erick Murillo, the bassist for The Kickass.

Future Islands released Little Advances in April 2006, and a self-released split CD with Welmers’ solo project Moss Of Aura in January 2007. In July 2007, they recorded their debut album, Wave Like Home, with Chester Endersby Gwazda at Backdoor Skateshop in Greenville, North Carolina. After a Halloween party in 2007, Murillo quit the band. In late 2007 and early 2008, the band relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The “Feathers and Hallways” 7” was recorded in Oakland, California during their first US tour and was their first release as a focused three-piece.

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  • 690min

    The vocals in this band is amazing. So emotional and powerful.

    30 Apr 11:51am Reply
  • shadrach_451

    "The Fountain" is staggeringly beautiful. And I don't understand the calls for different vocals. Seriously? That's like saying, "I like Gershwin, but I wish he played more Saxophone and less piano." or "Jimmy Hendrix would be great if he would just stop the guitar solos." "Hey Beetles. How about only letting Ringo sing from now on?" "The Marriage of Figaro would be SO much better if it stared Lil Wayne." ... okay I actually agree with that last one, but still. Come on, people. This is art. How about you change for it, for once, rather than trying to make it change for you?

    29 Apr 7:15pm Reply
  • AndrzFAL

    don't know what to think about their vocals.

    22 Apr 4:00am Reply
  • justcraazy

    love them

    20 Apr 9:33pm Reply
  • skeletonbone

    exceptional, two dudes below need to open their ears!

    16 Apr 7:40pm Reply
  • please-me

    "Meh" is the first thing I thought about it.

    5 Apr 4:55am Reply
  • AngelBeeps

    Meh.

    29 Mar 10:20am Reply
  • clockworkwombat

    ay don't trivialize the herring's contributions man

    21 Mar 12:27am Reply
  • the_karo

    makes a nice sex this sound and voice

    18 Mar 2:02pm Reply
  • FickleDickory

    Sam's vocals make the band. He's also a surprisingly talented rapper.

    16 Mar 4:55am Reply
  • acevem

    need better vocals

    10 Mar 11:13pm Reply
  • Hard_Rain

    The vocals are the best part!!

    26 Feb 6:59pm Reply
  • JuliusNepos

    if only they had better vocals, because godamnit those synths are beautiful

    22 Feb 5:10pm Reply
  • Esth6r

    LOVE it, especially "Grease" and "Balance", no, actually love it all :)

    12 Feb 11:05am Reply
  • MyHeadOnAPlate

    subterranean

    11 Feb 12:17am Reply
  • clubanddeform

    instantly burrowed itself into my brain. their music is already popping up in my dreams after only a day of listening lol

    3 Feb 1:18am Reply
  • daveyjays

    Amazing stuff

    30 Jan 7:20am Reply
  • JoeyIsntDead

    I love this shit so much

    26 Jan 11:45pm Reply
  • Q-Rocket

    Voice <3

    15 Jan 1:00pm Reply
  • kbattattack

    cum play @ suny purchase again plz

    15 Jan 5:51am Reply
  • All 509 shouts