Photo Credit: Bill Kelly

Vampire Weekend have shared plans to “connect jawbone, and jam,” according to bandmember, Chris Tomson, with a new, raga-inspired album. The project will serve as the New York indie-rocker’s first release since 2022’s vinyl-exclusive live set, ​​Frog on the Bass Drum Vol. 01 and their first full-length drop since 2019’s Father Of The Bride. While an official due date has yet to be announced, the band revealed in a recent interview with Vulture that the forthcoming ten-track LP is nearly complete. 

In the interview, Vampire Weekend explained that frontman Ezra Koenig was inspired to experiment with raga vocals after a trip to rural Japan. During his visit, Koenig pursued singing lessons with minimalist composer Terry Riley. According to drummer Tomson, it was during those lessons that Ezra wrote “what he considers to be seven of his all-time top ten best songs.” 

Tomson also stated that the band’s flexible approach to the album brought him back to their earliest days at Columbia University. “I personally found an immense peace and pleasure from creating with the guys like we had in the Ruggles days,” he wrote. “The vibe was strong.”
In addition to the currently unnamed album, Vampire Weekend is set to release a second vinyl-exclusive live recording,VOL. 02: Una Notte A Milano Con Vampire Weekend. Fans can find updates and release details on the Vampire Weekend Vinyl Club website.