Phoenix is a French indie rock/pop band that began getting mainstream attention in 2009 with the release of their full-length, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. On Tuesday, Phoenix will play at Old National Centre. This is their first tour since before the pandemic and is running with the upcoming release of their new album. They have released two singles off the album this summer, “Alpha Zulu” and “Tonight” featuring Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend.
Laurent ‘Branco’ Brancowitz says every song on the album is going to be different. The band recorded the album in The Louvre in Paris. “Alpha Zulu” is electric and pop-forward with wavy lyrics. It’s accompanied by a music video filled with paintings singing and bobbing their heads to the music. It’s fitting for the upbeat, feel-good song. They made the video with an app called Reface. The music video is nearing one million views on Youtube.
“We were looking for a way to be part of the artworks. The idea was pretty simple,” Branco says.
Simplicity is something the band aims for in their music. Branco says they use simple tools to make a wide spectrum of musical sounds. Their upcoming album was recorded during the pandemic, but is bright and positive which is a refreshing take after the past few years.
“You can feel that there’s something dramatic happening, but the overtones are very joyful,” Branco says.
Porches will open for Phoenix for the entire tour. After a few years of being stationed in Europe, Branco says he is excited to be on tour again and that playing with Porches will be a great collaboration. After over a decade of playing music live and doing world tours, Branco says that shows in the Americas seem to have the best energy.
“You can feel that it’s not just entertainment anymore. It’s those moments when you can feel a connection with the heart of humanity. Some audiences are more sensitive to this aspect,” Branco says. “That’s what I’m looking for.”
Get tickets to the show here and keep up with the band’s tour on Instagram.
