Beloved Wellington six-piece The Phoenix Foundation have released brand new track ‘Hounds of Hell’ featuring Nadia Reid, and announced they’ll release their seventh studio album Friend Ship on October 16.
It’s been five years since the Phoenix Foundation released their last album, Give Up Your Dreams. Since then they’ve been writing, recording, touring with the NZ Symphony Orchestra, creating the soundtrack for Hunt For The Wilderpeople, and – among other things – producing other bands.
The Phoenix Foundation are performing eight dates across Aotearoa this November:
- Paekākāriki – Friday, November 6, St Peter's Hall
- Christchurch – Thursday, November 12, Isaac Theatre Royal
- Dunedin – Friday, November 13, Starters
- Mount Maunganui – Thursday, November 19, Totara St
- Leigh – Friday November 20, Sawmill Cafe
- Auckland – Saturday November 21, Powerstation
- Napier – Friday November 27, The Cabana
- Wellington – Saturday November 28, The Opera House
Tickets on sale 9am Friday, August 14, from Banished Music.
The Phoenix Foundation Friend Ship album artwork Photo: Supplied
‘Hounds of Hell’ is the second single from 10-song set Friend Ship, and follows ‘Tranquillity’ ft. Hollie Fullbrook, which came out in July.
The track features Nadia Reid on vocals and is about "a love so true it could survive the impending doom of climate change".
The role of collaboration is key to the new record – Friend Ship features guest contributions from Nadia Reid, Hollie Fullbrook (Tiny Ruins), Dave Dobbyn, Anita Clark (Motte) and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
“The album is sort of a post-apocalyptic love letter from the future to the present,” Samuel Scott says, “Looking back into the past for that sense of human connection we have lost in our screen-based existence."
The video for ‘Hounds of Hell’ was directed by visual artist and filmmaker Anita Fontaine with the support of NZ On Air. The track is out now on all streaming services.
