Future Islands

Future Islands
Future Islands performing in Cleveland, Ohio (February 2011)
Background information
Origin	Greenville, NC, United States
Genres	Synthpop, New Wave, Indie Rock
Instruments	Synthesizer, bass guitar, guitar
Years active	2006–present
Labels	Thrill Jockey, Upset the Rhythm
Associated acts	Art Lord & the Self Portraits, Moss of Aura, The Snails, Ruin Yer Stereo
Website	future-islands.com
Members
J. Gerrit Welmers William Cashion Samuel Herring
Past members
Erick Murillo Samuel N. Ortiz-Payero

Future Islands are a synthpop band based in Baltimore, Maryland. The band is composed of Gerrit Welmers (keyboards and programming), William Cashion (bass, acoustic and electric guitars), and Samuel T. Herring (words and vocals). Future Islands formed in January 2006 in Greenville, North Carolina.

History

The band met and formed in while studying art at East Carolina University in Greenville. Their first band was Art Lord & the Self-Portraits, which included Samuel T. Herring, William Cashion, Gerrit Welmers, Adam Beeby, and Kymia Nawabi. That band lasted from February 2003 until Fall of 2005. In 2006, Cashion, Herring, and Welmers formed Future Islands with Erick Murillo, who played an electronic drum kit.

Future Islands released Little Advances in April 2006 and a self-released split CD with Welmers' solo project Moss of Aura in January 2007. They recorded their debut album "Wave Like Home" with Chester Gwazda at Backdoor Skateshop in Greenville, NC later that year. London-based label Upset the Rhythm released Wave Like Home in the Summer of 2008. The cover art was designed by Kymia Nawabi, a former member of Art Lord & the Self-Portraits.

In late 2007/early 2008, the band relocated to Baltimore, MD. The "Feathers and Hallways" 7" was recorded in Oakland, CA during their first US tour and was their first release as a focused three-piece. Their second album, In Evening Air, was recorded in the band's living room in the historic Marble Hill neighborhood in Baltimore.

In 2009 the band signed to Chicago independent record company Thrill Jockey. Following a year of solid touring, they recorded their third album On the Water in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and released it in the autumn of 2011.

Discography

Albums

• Wave Like Home (Upset the Rhythm - August 25, 2008)
• In Evening Air (Thrill Jockey - May 4, 2010)
• On the Water (Thrill Jockey - October 11, 2011)

EPs and Singles

• Little Advances (self-released - April 28, 2006)
• Split CD-R with Moss of Aura (self-released - January 6, 2007)
• Split 7" with Dan Deacon (307 Knox Records - August 5, 2008 - purple vinyl, limited to 1000)
• Feathers & Hallways 7" EP (Upset the Rhythm - April 15, 2009 - white virgin vinyl)
• Post Office Wave Chapel 12" remix EP (Free Danger - February 2010, limited to 500)
• In The Fall 12" EP (Thrill Jockey - April 2010 - Blue Vinyl, limited to 1000)
• Undressed 12" EP (Thrill Jockey - September 2010, limited to 1000)
• Split 7" with Lonnie Walker (Friends Records - November 2010, limited to 1000)
• Before the Bridge 7" single (Thrill Jockey - July 19, 2011, limited to 750)

As Art Lord & the Self-Portraits:

• Searching for a Complement (self-released - August 2003)
• In Your Boombox (self-released - October 2003)
• Ideas for Housecrafts (self-released - February 2004)
• Snail (self-released - 2005)
• "Sad Apples, Dance!" featured on Compulation Vol. 2: Songs from North Carolina (Poxworld Empire)
• In Your Idea Box digital-only "best-of" release (307 Knox Records - September 2008)

External links

• Official site
• Future Islands on MySpace