Future Islands Debut New Song ‘The Chase’ In Their Triumphant Letterman Return

There was a big song and dance made about Future Islands’ big song and dance the last time that they performed live on The Late Show With David Letterman. The program’s titular host had his mind blown by frontman Samuel T. Herring’s dancefloor-scuffing moves, exclaiming “I’ll take all ‘o that you got!”

Just over a year later, the Maryland synth-pop outfit have returned to the Ed Sullivan Theatre stage for what will be Letterman’s final Late Show gigs, armed with a brand new stand-alone single, The Chase.

The band dedicated their heartfelt performance of the song to the people of their native Baltimore, who are currently in the throes of social upheaval.

“Let us not discount their voices — or the voices of all the people in the cities that we live and love”, Herring proclaimed by way of a rousing introduction, before launching into an emotional vocal performance, complete with his trademark, highly meme-able dance moves, and a bit of extra support from house musician Paul Shaffer and members of the CBS Orchestra.

The Chase was made available as a double A side after the show aired, along with another new tune Haunted By You. Watch the band debut it live on Letterman in the video, below.

Future Islands have since commemorated how much fun they had on the show with multiple social media updates (below), thanking their fellow musicians, sharing a unique homework assignment that the performance inspired at one US school, and documenting evidence of the damage Herring’s D-moves did to Letterman’s stage.

Future Islands were last in Australia as part of the St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival and sideshows earlier this year.

Watch: Future Islands – The Chase (Live On The Late Show with David Letterman)

https://youtu.be/ZPmdeD7riJg

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Watch: Future Islands – Seasons (Waiting On You) Live On The Late Show with David Letterman)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ee4bfu_t3c