Bastille's Dan Smith Takes Fans Behind The Scenes Of 'Shut Off The Lights'

Bastille is gearing up to release a new album, Give Me the Future, this week, and before it drops singer Dan Smith thought it would be fun to give fans a behind the scenes look of how the songs came to be, starting with their latest single "Shut Off the Lights."

Not only did he post photos and video clips from their time in the studio, but also shared an in-depth message about the song's origin.

"The other day I was trying to find a photo on my phone and stumbled on a clip of us recording 'Shut Off The Lights,'" he explained. "It made me think about all the photos, lyrics, voice notes and demos that sit in my phone and never see the light of day. We thought it might be interesting to use these digital breadcrumbs that happily clog up all my phone storage to give a detailed and honest insight into how the songs on this album were made. So we’re going to share them track by track."

"First up is SOTL. Although a bunch of the album is in this dystopian world of technology and Future Inc., SOTL is the moment when you want to put your phone down, be pulled out of all your future fears by the person you’re with, and find some human connection," Smith continued. "I had a lot of fun writing the demo one afternoon a while back with @jonnycoffer and @plested. Jonny came up with the brilliant guitar loop and the whole song just kind of fell out as I sang. I took it to @markbcrew and he loved it so we worked away at it in our studio, One Eyed Jack’s."

He went on to celebrate all the friends who ended up contributing to the song. "In breaks between lockdowns, some friends would come to the studio and we’d add to the track," Smith wrote. "@charliebarnesmusic recorded the wonderful guitar riff, @jfabraham_ helped arrange some brass, and @rittipo laid down all the swirling sax you can hear all over it. When the guys came down, @woodybangsthedrums added some great drums and percussion, @kjesimmons elevated the whole thing with the smooth synths in the pre-chorus, and @williamfarquarson brought the chorus to life with his Graceland-esque fretless bass. Another afternoon around that time, we were rehearsing at the studio so a bunch of our touring crew pals were around. We wanted the chorus to sound big and raucous, so Mark had the idea of throwing a microphone on in the main room, gathering everyone around and laying down a big old gang vocal. I love that we have so many friends all over this song, seeing as it’s basically about getting out from inside your head and being in the room, and the wonderful distraction of human connection."

See his post below and look out for Give Me the Future on Friday (February 4).