English synthpop outfit Hot Chip have released the second single from their forthcoming studio album, Freakout/Release. “Eleanor,” in its bubbly quirkiness, gives fans a satisfying peek into the band’s eighth full-length release. Listen to it below:
Lead vocalist Alexis Taylor said the following about the new song: “It’s about the world smashing into you, waves crashing into you, all-encompassing pain, and how you have to walk through it. The verses are about separation when families are divided against their will. It’s about strong friends. It’s also about Samuel Beckett giving Andre The Giant lifts to school, and about how Beckett must have learned a lot from Andre’s wisdom.”
Co-founder Joe Goddard also shared his thoughts: “In a natural way, without too much discussion or a grand plan.” “Eleanor,” like several songs on Freakout/Release sound positively laser-focused despite their loose-hang origins: “These songs feel like accomplished pop songs, but it was just us making music in a room,” Al Doyle explains. “Those moments are a testament to how we’ve developed as songwriters and musicians ourselves.”
Hot Chip is set to play shows across Europe starting next week. The dates are listed below:
July 8th – Cruilla Barcelona
July 15th – Super Bock Super Rock, Lisbon
July 16th – Beat Herder, Clitheroe
August 5th – Junction 1 Summer Series, Glasgow
August 6th – Wide Skies & Butterflies, Norfolk
August 18th – Banquet @ PRYZM, Kingston
August 19th – Resident @ Chalk, Brighton
August 23rd – Rough Trade East, London (DJ set)
September 2nd – Cala Mijas Festival, Malaga
September 21st – o2 Academy Brixton, London
September 22nd – o2 Academy Brixton, London
September 23rd – o2 Academy Brixton, London
September 24th – o2 Academy Brixton, London
October 1st – Tempodrom, Berlin
October 2nd – Live Music Hall, Cologne
October 3rd – AB Ballroom, Brussels
October 5th – Tivoli Ronda, Utrecht
October 8th – Olympia, Paris
Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat