Flamingods release new single & video ‘Dreams (On The Strip)’

Photo Credit: Tanmay Chowhary & Genevieve Reyes

Flamingods return with new single and video ‘Dreams (On The Strip)’ today, recorded in Atlanta with Grammy award-winning producer Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Deerhunter, M.I.A). With its moody synthesisers, gritty drum machines and euphoric chorus, ‘Dreams (On The Strip)’ signifies a new era for the much-loved London quartet, and is their first new music since the release of fourth studio album Levitation in 2019. Alongside the single, Flamingods have also announced that they are set to bring their genre-defying music back to the stage, announcing a UK headline tour this November, preceded by a string of Summer festival appearances.

‘Dreams (On The Strip)’ explores themes of surrealist dreaming and grief over a new wave backdrop, with its euphoric chorus featuring guest vocals from Girl Ray’s Poppy Hankin and her partner Joanie Eaton. Through mantra-like lyrics that are repeated in the verses, the band taps into a feeling of perpetual motion, a motivation to keep going and pushing for what they believe in. Frontperson Kamal Rasool comments;“‘The power of dreams has got me hooked over the past few years. When I lost my Dad to Covid 3 years ago, I started having lucid dreams about him where he existed within these surrealist settings that felt both poetic and nonsensical. It felt like he was trying to reach me in these dreams, to give me advice or perhaps just be closer to me. It changed my perspective of dreams and the sometimes-potent effects they can have on you”

The accompanying music video is a dazzling treat – shot between LA and London and directed by rising Indian, LA-based director Tanmay Chowdhary. Playing on the song’s themes, it arrives as a sun-baked fever dream, complete with vivid animations by the band’s own Charles Prest. The video also stars LA-based, Lebanese-American belly dancer and skater Alia Mohamed – who carries the narrative before crescendoing into a stunning belly dance performance at the song’s peak. Director Tanmay Chowdhary explains “We wanted to design a visual aesthetic that is reminiscent of the 80s and 90s, a time when Kamal was growing up in Bahrain. We used old VHS cameras and combined it with a more modern lens in capturing Alia’s talent, who like the band is an artist with complex roots.” Kamal adds;“‘The video’s pomegranate imagery is a reference to the name of the Bahraini village my dad was born in (Ras Rumman / رأس الرمان) where Pomegranates were once cultivated. The motif is our way of paying tribute to him, alongside featuring some of his belongings like his boombox, binoculars, sunglasses and clothes.”

‘Dreams (On The Strip)’ Video Still

Although still barely 30 years old individually, Flamingods have been playing music together under various guises since the age of sixteen. Grounded in their shared youth growing up in Bahrain, it’s this brotherly bond that underpins their near telepathic level of musicality. Having been based out of London for the past decade, the band have earned their reputation as a singular fixture in the UK scene.“We’re a band of mixed-race boys making alternative rock music, something that’s quite rare within our scene” comments Karthik Poduval,“we’re very much influenced by our heritage (Middle Eastern, South Asian, West African and British) but aren’t engrossed in making traditional or obvious rock music. We’d rather make it our own.” With eight nationalities between them, listening to their music is like peeling a massive eclectic onion – it’s diverse because that’s all they know. Reflecting on how this plays into ‘Dreams (On The Strip)’, Sam Rowe adds “With this track, we wanted to embrace our electronica influences a bit more, so we started looping arpeggios and drum machines and layering over it with disco, punk and electronica influences. To us it ended up sounding like a cross between Donna Summer, Gary Numan and Kraftwerk and we’re totally cool with that.”

Across each consecutive release, Flamingods have gained some strong momentum, welcoming a diverse and dedicated fan base into their unique world. Fiercely independent, across their four albums and wider discography the band have released through prolific indie imprints including Moshi Moshi, Soundway and Dan Carey’s Speedy Wunderground. The band have toured extensively across the globe, with their highly-praised live show known for its euphoric high energy, including showcasing at SXSW, Iceland Airwaves, Transmusicales and Tallinn Music Week. As well as sold out headline shows through the UK, the band have appeared at major festivals including  End of the Road, Field Day, Greenman and Glastonbury. As long standing favourites of BBC 6Music, Flamingods have hit the playlist multiple times, with sessions under their belt for Lauren Laverne, Giles Peterson and Vic Galloway. More widely, they’ve also appeared in sessions for KEXP and Boiler Room, and made their debut TV appearance on C-Beebies show Yolanda’s Band Jam. Now returning with ‘Dreams (On The Strip),’ Flamingods firmly plant the seeds for what’s to come next, an era set to blossom with the collective at the the height of their craft.

Flamingods – Live Dates 2023:

Tickets here

21 July | Isle of Wight | Ventnor Fringe Festival
22 July |Suffolk | Latitude Festival
02 Sept |  Manchester | Manchester Psych Festival
03 Sept | Deal, Kent | Smugglers Festival
06 Oct | Guernsey | St James – headline
04 Nov | Margate | Where Else? – headline
08 Nov | Cambridge | The Portland Arms – headline
09 Nov | London | Scala – headline
16 Nov | Birmingham | The Hare & Hounds – headline
17 Nov | Sheffield | Yellow Arch Studio – headline
18 Nov | Stroud | Brunel Goods Shed – headline

‘Dreams (On The Strip)’ Artwork by Raissa Pardini