The Phoenix Foundation are back with new music.
Out today, “Whistling in the Darkness” is a catchy psych-folk song that’s as cryptic as it is infectious.
According to a press release, the song “asks if the ‘chaos in the streets tonight’ is perhaps a sales event for some fancy sneakers, or more likely genocide.”
“We’ll open carry with open hearts” they sing, and weirder lyrics follow. “The squeaky wheel gets the grease, while the butcher gets the golden geese.”
The relentlessly jaunty “Whistling in the Darkness” is part of a new double A-side, paired with the no-wave funk cut “Ritual Hex” (out December 12th). The songs were recorded live-ish at Surgery Studios in between two weekends of Camp A Low Hum, with Anita Clark joining the band on violin and vocals.
Before Christmas, The Phoenix Foundation are playing two shows: Auckland at Double Whammy on Friday, December 13th, and Wellington at Meow on Saturday, December 14th. Louisa Nicklin will support in Tāmaki Makaurau, and Dream Chambers in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Expect both new and old tracks for a “fresh” and “dope” night.
The Phoenix Foundation new single follows a glorious end to 2023 for the indie rockers. They celebrated the landmark 20th anniversary of their debut album, Horse Power, at shows around Aotearoa, playing the record in its entirety.
Horse Power was one of the most acclaimed New Zealand albums of 2003, the only album to be nominated for Best Album at both the New Zealand Music Awards and The Bnet Awards.
“We’re actually still making music, we reckon we’re probably making the best music that we’ve made, even though it’s way less known than the first few albums,” the band’s co-founder Luke Buda told Rolling Stone AU/NZ last year. Read the full interview with Buda here.
The Phoenix Foundation’s“Whistling in the Darkness” is out now.
The Phoenix Foundation 2024 Shows
Friday, December 13th
Double Whammy, Auckland
Tickets here
Saturday, December 14th
Meow, Wellington
Tickets here
