Foals

Formed in Oxford, England in 2005, Foals initially developed around a tense, angular sound blending indie rock, dance-punk, math rock and post-punk heritage, with staccato guitars, nervy rhythms and writing that sought as much physical momentum as precision. After the early departure of singer Andrew Mears, Yannis Philippakis took on vocals and, with Jack Bevan, Jimmy Smith, Walter Gervers and later Edwin Congreave, forged the band’s identity on Antidotes in 2008, before widening the spectrum on Total Life Forever in 2010, more atmospheric, then Holy Fire in 2013, where Foals refined a balance between rock tension, dance motifs and more open tracks. What Went Down in 2015 intensified a harsher, more massive vein, while the diptych Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1 and Part 2 in 2019 alternates between electronic pulsations, melancholy and frontline energy. Accustomed to big stages and international festivals, Foals continued to evolve after Walter Gervers left in 2018 and then Edwin Congreave in 2021, before Gervers returned in 2023. With Life Is Yours in 2022, Foals moved its center of gravity again toward brighter, more supple and rhythmic rock, without breaking with the tension that runs through their journey.