Vampire Weekend have launched a new podcast called ‘Vampire Campfire’ today (March 7) – check it out below.
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The podcast, hosted by the band’s Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio and Chris Tomson, comes ahead of the band releasing their fifth studio album, ‘Only God Was Above Us’, which arrives on April 5 via Columbia. You can pre-order/pre-save it here.
A statement about the new podcast series says it will be “released semi-regularly for the foreseeable future” and fans who watch will be “invited behind the scenes into a longstanding and formerly private Vampire Weekend ritual: the frequent campfire chats where Baio, CT and Koenig convene to discuss and brainstorm all things Vampire Weekend – and so much more.”
Fans have also been told that there will be Vampire Weekend ‘Easter Eggs’ on the podcast and they will be given “advance insights” into the band’s new album.
The statement added: “[Fans] will be invited to witness…the band members reminisce about the past and discuss important matters in the present, ranging from tour openers, set lists and the potential of a future album called ‘The 40-Year-Old Email’, to such controversial topics as the dominant type of taco shell and The Real World vs Road Rules.
“Future episodes will see the band delve deeper into the new album and will feature some very special guests.”
Check out the first podcast episode here:
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Following on from 2019’s ‘Father Of The Bride’, Vampire Weekend’s first full-length album project in five years was recorded all over the world, from Manhattan to Los Angeles to London and Tokyo. The band recently released two singles from the project, ‘Capricorn’ and ‘Gen-X Cops’,
The album was “inspired and haunted by 20th Century New York City” according to a statement from the band, and was primarily produced by frontman Ezra Koenig and longtime collaborator Ariel Rechtshaid (Haim, Brandon Flowers).
It also dates back to 2019-2020, when Koenig wrote most of the lyrics for the LP.
A press release added: “The 10-track magnum opus is the product of five years spent refining, reworking and gradually shaping those lyrical and melodic structures to take Vampire Weekend to a new creative peak.
“The album is direct yet complex, showing the band at once at its grittiest, and also at its most beautiful and melodic. ‘Only God Was Above Us’ is nothing short of a definitive statement – one that begins on a playfully profane and confrontational note, and runs a gauntlet of emotions, experiences, characters and stories, before ending on an unambiguous note of acceptance… and quite literally ‘Hope’.”
In other news, the band recently announced a huge 2024 North American tour kicking off in April. Tickets for the shows are available here and the full list of dates is below:
Vampire Weekend’s 2024 ‘Only God Was Above Us’ US tour dates are:
APRIL
08 – Austin, TX, Moody Amphitheater (Solar Eclipse) – SOLD OUT
27 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
MAY
10 – Salt Lake City, UT, Kilby Block Party
30 – Barcelona, Espana, Primavera Sound
JUNE
06 – Houston, TX, 713 Music Hall
07 – Irving, TX, The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
09 – Phoenix, AZ, Arizona Financial Theatre
10 – San Diego, CA, Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
12 – Los Angeles, CA, Hollywood Bowl
15 – Berkeley, CA, The Greek Theatre at U.C. Berkeley
16 – Berkeley, CA, The Greek Theatre at U.C. Berkeley (Matinee Show)
18 – Burnaby, BC, Deer Lake Park
19 – Bend, OR, Hayden Homes Amphitheater
20 – Seattle, WA, Climate Pledge Arena
22 – Bonner, MT, KettleHouse Amphitheater
23 – Bonner, MT, KettleHouse Amphitheater (Matinee Show)
JULY
19 – Morrison, CO, Red Rocks Amphitheatre
22 – Kansas City, MO, Starlight Theatre
23 – Lincoln, NE, Pinewood Bowl Theater
25 – Maryland Heights, MO, Saint Louis Music Park
26 – Chicago, IL, Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
27 – Chicago, IL, Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
30 – Minneapolis, MN, The Armory
AUGUST
01 – Milwaukee, WI, BMO Pavilion
03 – St. Charles, IA, Hinterland
SEPTEMBER
19 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH, Blossom Music Center
20 – Cincinnati, OH, The ICON Festival Stage at Smale Park
21 – Indianapolis, IN, Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
23 – Rochester Hills, MI, Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
24 – Toronto, ON, Budweiser Stage
25 – Laval, QC, Place Bell
27 – Boston, MA, TD Garden
28 – Philadelphia, PA, TD Pavilion at The Mann
30 – Washington, DC, The Anthem
OCTOBER
02 – Charlottesville, VA, Ting Pavilion
05 – New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
06 – New York, NY, Madison Square Garden (Matinee Show)
08 – Wilmington, NC, Live Oak Bank Pavilion
09 – Raleigh, NC, Red Hat Amphitheater
11 – Nashville, TN, Ascend Amphitheater
12 – Atlanta, GA, Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
13 – Asheville, NC, Rabbit Rabbit
15 – St. Augustine, FL, St. Augustine Amphitheatre
17 – Austin, TX, Moody Center