Interpol played a secret intimate warm-up show at Sala But on July 9 before playing the Mad Cool Festival on July 11. Featuring guest drummer Matt Barrick (The Walkmen, Muzz), the band appeared at the shows ahead of their ninth studio album, This Mirror Weighs A Ton, scheduled for release on August 28.
Interpol has been a New York band, but this current pivot feels like more than just a tour cycle. Between the secret identity of their warm-up gig—billed as “Iron City”—and the discourse surrounding their new material, the band is leaning into a curated mystery. They aren’t just playing festivals; they’re building a narrative around the friction between human creativity and the digital void.
The Bottom Line
- The Lineup: Matt Barrick (The Walkmen/Muzz) is filling in on drums while Sam Fogarino recovers from surgery.
- The New Era: Ninth album This Mirror Weighs A Ton drops August 28 via Partisan Records.
- The Strategy: A “secret” club show used before a festival stage appearance.
The Sonic Pivot from Sala But to the Orange Stage
Despite the name, they didn’t play the “Iron City” track at the gig. Instead, they leaned on songs from Turn On the Bright Lights and Antics.
By playing an intimate set, they performed with Matt Barrick. Barrick, of Muzz and The Walkmen, appears to be stepping in as their replacement drummer while usual sticksman Sam Fogarino sits out their tour to recover from surgery. When they hit the Mad Cool Orange Stage in the early hours of July 11, the result was a set that included “Untitled”, “No I in Threesome”, “C’mere”, “All the Rage Back Home”, “Rest My Chemistry”, “Wings on Fire”, “Evil”, “Obstacle 1”, “The New”, “See Out Loud”, “Slow Hands”, “NYC”, “The Rover” and “PDA”.
The setlist remained almost identical, with one deviation: they swapped “Roland” for “The Rover.”
| Feature | Sala But (Secret Show) | Mad Cool (Festival) |
|---|---|---|
| Date | July 9 | July 11 |
| Drummer | Matt Barrick | Matt Barrick |
| Key Variation | Included “Roland” | Included “The Rover” |
Humanity vs. The Algorithm in ‘This Mirror Weighs A Ton’
Paul Banks has been vocal about the conceptual weight of the upcoming album. In a conversation with NME, Banks revealed that “Iron City” is a conversation between the human narrator and the future artificial intelligence that’s running things.
Banks argued that AI is fundamentally a mirror—it can only reflect what we have already created. “Without new stuff it will devolve into a simulacra,” Banks noted, suggesting that human creativity will always be the “leap” that the computer can only mimic after the fact. This philosophy is baked into the production of the new record, which was produced by Andrew Wyatt [ROSALÍA, Charli XCX] and mixed by Dave Fridmann [Sleater-Kinney, MGMT].
By utilizing “strings, woodwinds, layered vocal harmonies, acoustic guitar and experimental sound design,” Interpol is moving toward their signature sense of atmosphere and inescapable rhythms.
The Business of the Tour
Interpol signed to Partisan Records earlier this year. The strategy involves festival slots like Mad Cool to generate momentum, followed by a series of tour dates.
After a 23-date North American headline tour, they will head out on a UK and European co-headline arena tour with Bloc Party later this year. They will also return to the UK for a special appearance at All Points East x Outbreak in London on August 23, supporting Deftones on a bill that also includes IDLES, Amyl & The Sniffers and others. Two nights at London’s Olympia on December 4 and 5 are included in the tour.
By blending secret shows, AI-centric philosophy, and strategic arena pairings, they are preparing for the release on August 28.
