On November 3, we can look forward to the release of Cold War Kids’ 10th studio album, Cold War Kids, arriving via AWAL.
Per a press release from the band, in celebration of the announcement, the second single off the album, “Run Away With Me,” has been released and was World Premiered on iHeart Radio today. The song sets the tone for the entire album with its funky, groovy vibe. The 12 songs on the LP explore a wide range of styles, drawing inspiration from artists like Curtis Mayfield, the Pretenders, Elton John, Happy Mondays, and Gang Of Four.
When speaking about the song, frontman Nathan Willet explained that he started producing it with Carlos de la Garza, who produced songs by bands like Paramore and Linda Linda’s “as this Sly Stone type of funky soul song that evolved into a more soulful pop tune about two desperate, down-and-out lovers.”
Cold War Kids recently went on their Tears For Fears tour, performing hits like “Double Life” in stops like Madison Square Garden in New York City and The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles earlier this month.
Nathan Willett expressed that at times he needed to take a step back and wait to release music before he was able to develop a full album. He explained, “If I’ve got five songs done that I’ve worked on in a certain way, I tend to want to put them out as an EP and go do some shows around it. Continually as my brain would go to that place, I’d go, no, just wait, and really put together a full-length record. I needed to approach things very differently and work with some new people in a way that was a little uncomfortable. This album is where I’ve most felt like I was the executive producer of everything.”
He continued, “The band started out with four guys who have very specific tastes and styles, and now it’s mostly me making the records in a way I love and have always envisioned,” Willett says. “The sound of Cold War Kids has always been there, and I wanted this record to be the ideal, best version of all those things we’ve always been.”
Willett also talked about the beginning stages of the band, and how they were drawn together. He said, “This group of friends met and were drawn to each other at a Christian college, and we started the band in a strange environment where we realized, what are we all doing here?”
“We came from a place of growing up, listening to music, and going to shows, and there’s a type of sweetness where we were sheltered from the music industry or wanting to be successful at any cost. Maust and I still have that connection, and it’s still an important part of what Cold War Kids are today.”
You can pre-save the Cold War Kids album now.
Cold War Kids Album Cover
