Track of the Day: Phantogram “In a Spiral” (2019)

New York duo Phantogram have just dropped a new single and it’s everything fans of the band would be hoping for. High energy, incredible beats, references to K-holes and enough bass to get anyone dancing. The production is massive, and Sarah’s vocals are unmistakably strong. Phantogram at their best? Absolutely.

Of the inspiration behind “In A Spiral,” Sarah Barthel of Phantogram says, “‘In A Spiral’ started from a beat that Josh had in his back pocket for quite some time, which I had gravitated to immediately and written some vocal ideas for. But the song was waiting for the right moment to reveal itself to us… We threw it on at the last minute while we were preparing to go record in Joshua Tree at the magical Rancho de la Luna with our friend Boots, and once we got out there everything started to fall into place.”

Josh Carter continues, “I started chopping up sample patterns, and we all messed around with a few analogue synths till we found the right vibe… We finished up the track in LA with Andrew Dawson. There’s a lot of energy in this song with dark, interesting wordplay. An inspiring feeling of making music in the desert. Beauty in desolation.”

It’s the third single taken from their next LP, following on from “Mister Impossible” and “Into Happiness”. The song is released as the group are on the road in North America (and briefly, Europe), with the following dates rounding out the rest of the year:

October 11 // Philadelphia, PA // House of Vans
November 1 // Bilbao, Spain // BIME Live
November 16 // Mexico City, Mexico // Corona Capital Festival
November 22 // San Diego, CA // Wonderfront Music Festival
December 4 // Charlotte, NC // The Fillmore Charlotte
December 10 // Portland, OR // The Crystal Ballroom
December 18 // Tulsa, OK // Cain’s Ballroom

For more about the band and their upcoming shows, head to facebook.com/phantogram

Photo by Eliot Lee Hazel.

Larry Heath

Founding Editor and Publisher of the AU review. Currently based in Toronto, Canada. You can follow him on Twitter @larry_heath or on Instagram @larryheath.