Yannis Philippakis: I don't know who to be if I'm not making music

Foals frontman Yannis Philippakis says being in a band and playing mu is “fundamental” for him.

The 36-year-old singer admits his whole existence is centred around the ‘What Went Down’ group and he would lose his “sense of self” without playing mu.

He told DIY magazine: “Coming back to these shows, there’s a pride at how many people were there and the fact that people held their tickets for two and a half years and they’re as excited as ever. Lots of bands’ lifespans are about two and a half years…

He went on: “I would question my sense of self without the group and without playing mu – it’s that fundamental for me. I don’t know who to be if I’m not making mu, and a lot of it is being on stage. It does feel dangerous and electrifying, and it is f****** draining, but I live for it.”

The prolific band released their seventh studio LP ‘Life Is Yours’ – the follow-up to 2019’s ‘Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 2’ – this week, which they’ve hailed as their most “pop” album to date and a “love letter to the world before COVID”.

Drummer Jack Bevan previously told BANG Showbiz: “We’re really excited for it to come out. We were doing it during the pandemic last year and it was kind of our love letter to the world before COVID.

“We were baally writing the record we wanted to hear before things re-opened and now we’re so excited for it to come out. I think it’s our most fun record, it’s really dance-y and really pop and really fun.”

Guitarist Jimmy Smith insists there was no pre-agreed plan by the trio to make a pop-sounding record, it was just the headspace that he and Yannis were in when they were writing.

He explained: “I feel like the stuff we were writing before we got together, especially what I was writing and what Yannis was writing, seemed quite pop and it seemed to fit the mood we were in. We didn’t want to make a heavy, hard record, we wanted something uplifting and joyous and it was so much fun to write it.

“Also, we weren’t like, ‘Oh it’s pop let’s not do that, that’s obviously what’s coming out naturally so let’s go with that.’

“There’s a simplicity to it, it’s not shallow by any means but that part, it’s not forced upon you. You can take it or leave it.”