The band met and formed in Greenville, North Carolina, USA while studying art at East Carolina University. Their first band was Art Lord & The Self-Portraits, which was also composed of Adam Beeby and Kymia Nawabi and lasted from 2003 to 2005. In 2006, Cashion, Herring, and Welmers formed Future Islands, along with Erick Murillo, the bassist for The Kickass. Other former members include Samuel N. Ortiz-Payero (drums, 2008) and Denny Bowen (drums, 2009–2013 in studio; 2013–2014 touring)
Future Islands released Little Advances in April 2006, and a self-released split CD with Welmers' solo project Moss of Aura in January 2007. In July 2007, they recorded their debut album, Wave Like Home, with Chester Endersby Gwazda at Backdoor Skateshop in Greenville, North Carolina. After a Halloween party in 2007, Murillo quit the band. In late 2007 and early 2008, the band relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The "Feathers and Hallways" 7" was recorded in Oakland, California during their first US tour and was their first release as a focused three-piece. Upset! the Rhythm released Wave Like Home on 25 August 2008. The cover art was designed by Kymia Nawabi, a former member of Art Lord & The Self-Portraits. In 2009 the band signed to independent Chicago record company Thrill Jockey.
Their second album, In Evening Air, was recorded in the band's living room in the historic Marble Hill neighborhood in Baltimore and released on 4 May 2010.Their third full-length album, On the Water, was recorded in Elizabeth City, NC's historic, waterfront Andrew S. Sanders House. It was released on 11 October 2011.
These early albums from Future Islands are often associated with other bands affiliated with Wham City, such as Videohippos, Santa Dads, Blood Baby, OCDJ, Adventure, Dan Deacon, Weekends and Double Dagger.
In 2014, they released Singles with hit-track Seasons (Waiting on You). The band and song gained critical acclamation from Pitchfork and NME and performed the song on the Late Show with David Letterman, a performance that went viral. In 2017, they released The Far Field and most recently in 2020 they released As Long As You Are.
Spirit
Future Islands Lyrics
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Candor, uneven - in it's will to find
The right design
The form belongs, to no one
Holding truth
Come see me through
Come through the sea
And share
The light inside of you
Don't cast away, don't cast away
Don't let them cast a role for you
Find the sun, force the moon
Loose the earth
For dreams come to those who let them in their guarded room
And open wide your winged-eye
Spirit dives - to catch your truth
For spirit thrives where darkness comes to challenge you
Be more than words
Be more than strength and kind
Be love and blind
To those who come to you
Sing something new
Belief is wet and ghost
Yet, loves the most of what we do
Don't cast away, don't cast away
Don't let them cast a role for you
Find the sun, force the moon
Loose the earth
For dreams come to those who let them in their guarded room
And open wide your winged-eye
Spirit dives - to catch your truth
For spirit thrives where darkness comes to challenge you
Those winter days
Those winter nights
Those days and those nights
Come see me through
Come through the sea
To bare
And share
The light inside of you
Don't cast away, don't cast away
Don't let them cast a role for you
Find the sun, force the moon
Loose the earth
For dreams come to those who let them in their guarded room
And open wide your winged-eye
Spirit dives - to catch your truth
For spirit thrives where darkness comes to challenge you
Challenge you, challenge you
Challenge you
The lyrics of "Spirit" by Future Islands call upon the listener to find their true self and stay true to that self, rather than allowing others to dictate who they should be. The repeated phrases of "trusted, repeated" and "don't cast away" reinforce the idea of staying true to oneself and not letting others persuade them to be someone else. The song also touches on the idea of the importance of love, both for oneself and for those who come into one's life. The listener is urged to be more than just words or strength and kindness, but to embody love and be blind to those who would try to change them.
The lyrics also mention the importance of dreams and the need to let them into one's life, even if they may lead to vulnerability or uncertainty. The lines "For dreams come to those who let them in their guarded room / And open wide your winged-eye" suggest that taking risks and embracing the unknown is necessary to achieve one's dreams.
Overall, "Spirit" is a song about staying true to oneself, embracing love, and being open to new experiences and the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
Trusted, repeated
Consistently reliable and reiterated
Candor, uneven - in it's will to find
Sincerity found in the asymmetry of one's desires
The right design
The proper and fitting framework
The form belongs, to no one
The shape not possessed by any
Holding truth
Bearing and sustaining the reality
Come see me through
Accompany me and support me
Come through the sea
Brave the rough waters
To bare
To reveal and expose
And share
To give and spread
The light inside of you
The inner radiance that you possess
Don't cast away, don't cast away
Don't discard and reject
Don't let them cast a role for you
Don't allow others to dictate your identity
Find the sun, force the moon
Discover what brings light and power to you
Loose the earth
Release yourself from earthly bounds
For dreams come to those who let them in their guarded room
One's aspirations are realized when allowed to enter the private space
And open wide your winged-eye
Be perceptive and have broad perspective
Spirit dives - to catch your truth
The essence plummets- to grasp your reality
For spirit thrives where darkness comes to challenge you
The soul flourishes in the face of adversity
Be more than words
Transcend language and rhetoric
Be more than strength and kind
Exceed physical capabilities and benevolence
Be love and blind
Embody affection without prejudice
To those who come to you
To those who seek you out
Sing something new
Create and express uniquely
Belief is wet and ghost
Faith is malleable and elusive
Yet, loves the most of what we do
However, affection is essential in everything we do
Those winter days
Those colder moments
Those winter nights
Those darker periods
Those days and those nights
Those times and those circumstances
Challenge you, challenge you
Confront you and inspire growth
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: William Hugh Cashion, Samuel Thompson Herring, John Gerrit Welmers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind