Written by Howi Bakunawa
Indie rock band Foals is finally coming to Manila this 2020.
The group, fresh off the release of their sixth studio album, Everything Will Not Be Lost — Part 2, is scheduled to come to the Philippines this March to headline Wanderland Music and Arts Festival 2020. The band will be performing alongside other acts such as Joji, Sabrina Claudio, Ari Lennox, Bruno Major and local favorites Ben&Ben, IV of Spades, and Ysanygo.
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Photo from Foals’ official Facebook page
With the band’s current line-up consisting of vocalist and lead guitarist Yannis Philippakis, drummer Jack Bevan, rhythm guitarist Jimmy Smith, and keyboardist Edwin Congreave, Foals’ sound can be described as diverse; incorporating elements from dance-rock, math-rock, and post-punk throughout the group’s 15-year history.
They released their debut album Antidotes in 2008 which featured rhythmically pulsating and percussion-driven tracks like Balloons, Cassius, and Olympic Airways. This was followed up by their sophomore record Total Life Forever in 2010 which catapulted the group further into international recognition.
While the album contained many of the hallmarks we still associate with the band’s sound today, Total Life Forever showed that the band was capable of creating intricate and evocative soundscapes of boundless emotional depth. This was the album that brought us tracks like Spanish Sahara, Alabaster, and this writer’s personal favorite, This Orient.
The band has been going strong ever since then with the release of four more studio albums. Each of them bear that distinct Foals-sound which balances between the jittery and frenetic energy of their debut and the spacey, trance-inducing sound of their second album. Holy Fire, released in 2013, brought with it their highest-charting single in the form of the pop-friendly track My Number. On the other hand, their 2015 album What Went Down shows Philippakis’ guitar leaning into heavier riffs with songs such as “Mountain at My Gates”.
The year 2019 saw Foals continue to effortlessly and seamlessly switch between pop-centered sensibility and raw expressiveness with their twin LPs Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost — Part 1 and Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost — Part 2 released during separate halves of the year. It’s a creative dynamic that results into a distinct, one-of-a-kind sound that Foals can call their own.
Photo from Foals’ official Facebook page
Karpos honestly couldn’t have picked a better band. Foals will be headlining the 8th year of the annual Wanderland Music and Arts Festival coming this March 7-8, 2020. They will be the latest act to perform on the festival stage at the Filinvest City Events Ground. Past acts throughout the years have included other international indie favorites like Two Door Cinema Club, Temper Trap, Death Cab for Cutie, and Bon Iver. With their distinctive sound, Foals is a perfect fit for the festival, with their tracks that will surely get everyone on their feet and dancing.
Are you looking forward to hearing them live? What songs are you hoping they’ll play? To purchase tickets to Wanderland, visit their website at wanderlandfestival.com.
Wanderland Music & Arts Festival
Official website: www.wanderlandfestival.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wanderlandfest
Twitter: @wanderlandfest
Instagram: @wanderlandfest
