The Irish band’s fifth studio album, Fever Dreams, will be released on August 20. The group have also shared the first song from the album titled ‘The First Day’.
Frontman Conor O’Brien says of the forthcoming album,
“I had an urge to write something that was as generous to the listener as it was to myself. Sometimes the most delirious states can produce the most ecstatic, euphoric and escapist dreams.”
Inspiration for their upcoming fifth record, Fever Dreams, was found in many places. – from night swimming on a Dutch island to Flann O’Brien, Audre Lorde, David Lynch, L. S. Lowry via the library music of Piero Umiliani and Alessandro Alessandroni and jazz from Duke Ellington and Alice Coltrane.
Villagers’ new track, ‘The First Day’, takes inspiration from their trip to Another Love Story festival in County Meath.
MV director Daniel Brereton says,
“The whole process was pretty collaborative with Conor. I think we both imagined a floatiness to the video, and obviously the title conjures up a lot of imagery and ideas, ‘The first day of the rest of your life’. What does that look like? How does that feel? We were very lucky to shoot on film and have great casting and styling. Shooting during a pandemic is not easy, so I feel fortunate that we got to make it happen.”
Fever Dreams is available for pre-order in multiple vinyl editions, CD, and digitally. Fans interested in grabbing a physical copy can order through Dom Mart. The intial press of vinyl format features a die cut sleeve with four interchangeable album covers.
Fever Dreams Tracklisting:
- Something Bigger
- The First Day
- Song In Seven
- So Simpatico
- Momentarily
- Circles In The Firing Line
- Restless Endeavour
- Full Faith In Providence
- Fever Dreams
- Deep In My Heart
Villagers have also confirmed a string of live dates later this year in the UK and Ireland. Tickets will go on sale tomorrow here.
2021 Live Dates:
12 October – SWG3, Glasgow
13 October – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
15 October – Albert Hall, Manchester
16 October – SWX, Bristol
17 October – Junction, Cambridge
18 October – The Glee Club, Birmingham
20 October – Chalk, Brighton
21 October – Roundhouse, London
2 November – Opera House, Cork
3 November – Set Theatre, Kilkenny
4 November – Dolans Warehouse, Limerick
5 November – Black Box, Galway
7 November – Empire Music Hall, Belfast
11 December – Vicar Street, Dublin
Fever Dreams follows their 2019 release, The Art of Pretending to Swim. Their debut album, Becoming A Jackal, was shortlisted for the 2010 Mercry Music Prize and the Choice Music Prize.
Photo credit: Rich Gilligan
