Temples have dropped the captivating new single ‘Vendetta’, which makes puts a modern spin on electronic music icons like Daft Punk and Justice.
The single is the latest to be shared from the Kettering four-piece’s new album ‘Bliss’, out on June 26 via V2. Pre-order it here.
Announced in February with the Kylie Minogue-inspired lead single ‘Jet Stream Heart’, the album is the fifth LP from frontman James Bagshaw and co. and sees them explore new electronic avenues.
That is showcased on the latest single, which is centred around a dancefloor-ready melody, and kicks in with scuzzy riffs and pulsating synths.
“Sweet release in the same old morning/ Sharp shock horror never seemed so boring/ Bleed my money then you leave me dry/ Please deliver me into the night,” Bagshaw sings with distorted vocals in the verse, building towards the euphoric chorus: “Fall away/ I wanna feel alive/ Sign off the night/ And leave without your vendetta.”
The single was originally meant to be two separate tracks, and came together when the band blended the two contrasting ideas – leading to a dizzying, intoxicating feeling throughout.
“Suddenly, you had this almost Justice-Daft Punk-sounding sample that then goes into something that could be a modern take on dance music,” the frontman said. “Like a David Guetta or Avicii song.”
The record marks the follow-up to 2023’s ‘Exotico’ and sees Temples push their psych-rock roots into new directions – introducing nods to ’90s and early ’00s dance.
Inspiration came from artists like Faithless, Underworld, Massive Attack and Portishead, and while Sean Ono Lennon produced on ‘Exotico’, this time the band have taken things into their own hands and let their instinct lead the way.
Speaking to NME about the record, Bagshaw explained that they all felt inspired to “come at this record from a different angle” this time around, “and not follow our own tropes”.
“In terms of creative output, you’re bearing it all and you can feel very naked,” the frontman said. “For us, it’s all about the purity of the idea and the creative vision.
“This is pure Temples, more than records we’ve produced ourselves before because we really haven’t thought about how it’s going to be received. That’s incredibly liberating. Maybe the fans will hate it!”
Temples are set to perform at Latitude Festival in Suffolk in July, before kicking off a four-stop UK headline tour towards the end of the year which includes a gig at London’s Scala. Visit here for tickets and more information.