The Rapture have apparently reunited for at least two shows. They’ll join a whole host of alternative artists like Beach House, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, MGMT and more at Just Like Heaven Festival in Long Beach, CA on May 4, 2019 and play a warm-up gig in Brooklyn, NY on April 30 at Music Hall of Williamsburg.
One of the biggest groups to emerge from the dance-punk movement of the late ’90s and early ’00s was Brooklyn’s The Rapture. Their debut album Echoes is considered one of the hallmarks of the indie scene of the new millennium. It’s been a tumultuous decade for the band, having gone on hiatus for a short period in 2008 (with founding member Luke Jenner also briefly leaving the band) and Mattie Saffie leaving the band the next year. In 2014, after releasing their first new album in five years with 2011’s In The Grace of Your Love, the band quietly broke up without issuing an official statement.
In 2018, multi-instrumentalist and long-time member Gabriel Andruzzi mentioned in an interview that, when asked about any future for The Rapture, “I’ve talked to Luke recently but there is nothing specific in the works. Thus I cannot report anything one way or another regarding The Rapture. I remain optimistic, and I must say that I always love playing shows with that band.”
The year before, Jenner gave an interview with the website Where They Create. He too was asked about the status of The Rapture, to which he replied, “I would love to do the Rapture again, at this point it’s just up to Vito [Roccoforte].” He also said in response to another question, “I love the Rapture. I am that in a sense. I still consider myself in the band. I have songs where I’m like, “This is a Rapture song.” I could make it for myself, but also it’s a Rapture song. My voice is so specific, it’s really easily identifiable. I’m sorta waiting on a phone call from Vito…”
Jenner left this message on Facebook today:
“So it’s been a long time since The Rapture did anything. It’s been this long gritty road trying to figure out how to be a father and a husband which seemed a lot more important than standing on stage in front of anyone. We went to therapy, we talked it out, it’s still a little weird, but I couldn’t do it if I didn’t feel like it was gonna be some kinda personal progress. Anyway, I hope there is a long future for us and we can build something new. Maybe you will join us someplace along the way again.”
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