No Band Is An Island

There are many entry points for approaching Future Islands. First there's the fact that guitar is all but absent. Then there's the fact that the Baltimore trio evolved from a North Carolina band memorably named Art Lord & The Self Portraits. Then there's the sound itself, an eerie reflection of 1980s synth-pop where Samuel Herring's romantic baritone arches over pulsing, foggy backdrops. And finally, there's the fact that they're signed to Thrill Jockey, a Chicago label once best known as the home to post-rock outfits like Tortoise and Trans Am.

Yet the latter isn't so odd when considering that Thrill Jockey has supported the thriving Baltimore scene by taking on local acts like Thank You, Double Dagger and Jason Urich. “They started signing bands like [Brooklyn's] High Places,” points out bassist William Cashion. “That was a departure from what they were known for. We're good friends with Double Dagger and when they got signed to Thrill Jockey, it was kind of mind-blowing. So it wasn't too shocking [for us].”

Cashion plays in the duo Believers with Double Dagger's Bruce Willen – the two bassists don guitar and keys instead. “I tell people it's the kind of music you might hear in a New Age bookstore,” he says. “For the most part it's a lot more mellow [and] dreamy and instrumental.” Meanwhile, Future Islands keyboardist and beats programmer Gerritt Welmers has the solo synthscape project Moss Of Aura. As for the uniquely voiced Herring, he's also in both The Snails with Cashion – “We all wear these homemade snail heads,” Cashion teases – and the rap-oriented “ambient pop” project Flesh Epic with his older brother.

The funny thing about Herring, though, is that for all the thickly atmospheric presence of his voice, he's a remarkably clean-cut and normal-looking guy. People who have lost themselves in his voice might be a bit surprised. “There's all kinds of things people have told us,” says Cashion. “We've definitely heard some weird stuff. I definitely [understand]. I think Isaac Brock from Modest Mouse looks totally different than what I thought he would in my mind.”

As if Future Islands needed anything more to set them apart from your average band, they've recorded all three of their albums outside of a studio setting. Their 2008 debut Wave Like Home was made in a warehouse space above a skate shop, and 2009's In Evening Air, in their own lounge room. And true to its name, last year's breakthrough On The Water – including the insanely good single Before The Bridge – was done at a friend's waterfront house in their native North Carolina.

“From day one, even with our former band, we always did our recordings ourselves,” Cashion explains. “We would just hang the microphone from the ceiling fan. We recorded a couple albums like that, with one mic. We've just always had that mentality.” He continues, “We're all about finding these hidden sounds in a house. 'What if we put Sam at the bottom of the stairs?' It seems more real than a studio that's built specifically for those [same] reverb sounds.”

Despite the through-line of their recording preferences, Future Islands haven't stayed static over the years. Their first album was faster and more punk, thanks to a now-departed drummer, and today the band are more accessible and pop than ever. Still, the synth element is less about '80s nostalgia and more about a deep appreciation for Kraftwerk. Plus, keyboards were just what was on hand. As for eschewing guitar, Welmers tried some of his metal-leaning axe work at early band rehearsals but found it not fitting the sound. So he taught himself keys.

“We've kind of felt our way through the process,” muses Cashion. “I'm a guitar player who became a bassist. Sam's roots are in hip hop and now he's like a pop singer. And Garrett's a metal dude who's now a sick keyboard player.”

Future Islands will be playing the following shows:

Wednesday 19 September - Northcote Social Club, Melbourne VIC
Thursday 20 September - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney NSW
Friday 21 September - GOMA, Brisbane QLD