It’s officially confirmed Vampire Weekend is making a comeback.
Of course, it was actually confirmed when they were announced for several festivals earlier this year (Firefly included), but it was ultimately a “believe it when we hear it” situation, as mistakes have been known to happen before. Earlier this week, however, Vampire Weekend released a two hour loop of unfinished guitar instrumentals as a teaser for “Harmony Hall”, and invited fans were to guess the title of the song, given the letters F.O.T.B (few were right). We’re pleased to let you know you can now stop listening to that on repeat, as our ears have now confirmed: Vampire Weekend has released their first (completed) song in six years.
If the objective was to get conversation going again, they certainly did. But it’s not as if they needed to. Vampire Weekend have amassed and held quite a following, even in their absence, with fans “patiently” passing the hiatus speculating and bouncing around theories on exactly what day of the year they’d be returning. In their time apart, Koenig himself toured solo, released his Netflix anime series Neo Yokio, continued to host Time Crisis on Beats 1, co-wrote and produced Beyonce’s “Hold Up”, and still came back to the open arms of their dedicated, worldwide fanbase— who are now six years older. And it was like they’d never left.
Vampire Weekend have also confirmed a spring release date for their new album, Father of the Bride, finally closing the six-year gap since 2013’s Modern Vampires of the City. This release marks the first without consistent contribution from longtime band member Rostam Batmanglij, who departed VW in 2016, and is now pursuing a solo career. The new album, however, will feature him in some capacity, just not as a full member. Until then, fans can survive on the two singles, “Harmony Hall” and “2021”, a pair of infectiously energetic standouts. Contrary to popular belief, “Harmony Hall” was not named after the Columbia University residential hall (Koenig’s Alma Mater), as Koenig has since said in a tweet that the Hall “did not exist” when he was there. And while “Harmony Hall” is not nearly as long as the two-hour teaser suggests, it still has the catchy guitar riffs and charismatic aire that VW fans have come to love.
Vampire Weekend are also confirmed for a number of festivals this summer, including Gulf Shore, Alabama’s Hangout Festival (May 17-19), and Firefly Festival in Dover, DE (June 20-23), and a number of UK/Europe festivals as well.
Stream “Harmony Hall” and “2021” below.