ARCADE FIRE: NEW ALBUM, PINK ELEPHANT, OUT MAY 9

April 8, 2025 Infrared Magazine News, Press Releases 0

ARCADE FIRE

NEW ALBUM OUT MAY 9âYEAR OF THE SNAKEâ SINGLE & VIDEO OUT NOW

Pink Elephant is the seventh studio album by Arcade Fire, (Win Butler, RÃ©gine Chassagne, Jeremy Gara, Tim Kingsbury and Richard Reed Parry), and will be released on May 9, 2025 via Columbia Records. Pink Elephant‘s arrival is preceded by first single âYear of the Snake,â available now across all digital platforms and as a video which can be seen HERE.

Composed of 10 new tracks of cinematic mystical punk and clocking in at 42 minutes, Pink Elephant is produced by Win Butler, RÃ©gine Chassagne and Daniel Lanois and was recorded at Win and RÃ©gineâs own Good News Recording Studio in New Orleans.

The term âpink elephantâ refers to that paradoxical effect where the effort to suppress a thought leads to it being impossible to avoid.

When experienced in its entirety, Pink Elephant invites the listener on a sonic odyssey â a quest for life â that exists within the perception of the individual, a meditation on both darkness and light, the beauty within. The layers of this condensed epic unfold to reveal new dimensions with each successive listen.

First track âYear of the Snakeâ is a joyous instant classic buoyed by the enveloping warmth of RÃ©gineâs vocals and features her Arcade Fire debut on bass, and Win Butlerâs debut on drums. The songâs title refers to 2025 being the Lunar Year of the Snake, which represents a time for renewal, positive transformation and new beginnings as the band sheds its skin once again and is born anew – delivering the unique trademark sound of Arcade Fire.

“Itâs tough to think of another band thatâs as formally concerned with (or as preternaturally adept at) enabling full-body catharsisâ – The New Yorker (WE)

The visuals for âYear of the Snakeâ represent the creative outcome of a special project with the band’s longtime collaborator David Wilson, alongside video artist Mark Prendergast. Through psychedelic wanderlust and the spirit of indie cinema road epics, the video follows Win and RÃ©gine as they take the viewer on a voyage in their festively appointed 1994 Ford Aerostar. From New Orleansâ Mardi Gras, to Houstonâs rodeos, the viewer is pulled into a mystical quest, from carnivals to dormant railroad tracks and myriad points between. All roads eventually lead to Willie Nelson’s Luck Ranch outside of Austin, where they debut âYear of the Snakeâ under the full blood moon.

This week also marks the debut of the Circle of Trust app â a resource for Arcade Fire news, music, videos, early access to tickets, exclusive merch, and the premiere episode of Santa Pirata Radio, where the band speak directly to fans and offer personal insights and behind the scenes info on all things Arcade Fire. The Circle of Trust app features the exclusive release of the track âCars and Telephonesâ and its accompanying video. This previously unreleased rarity is Winâs first composition that he ever played for RÃ©gine.

The Circle of Trust app can be downloaded HERE

In the coming days Arcade Fire will announce special gigs in select cities where the band will perform Pink Elephant in its entirety prior to its release. Fans should stay tuned to the bandâs socials for more information on these intimate performances.

Pink Elephant is the first full-length collection of new Arcade Fire music since 2022âs WE, which debuted at #1 on Billboardâs Top U.S. Albums Sales, #1 in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands, plus Top 5 positions in Canada, Belgium, France, Germany and Switzerland. Also topping the U.S. Rock, Alternative and Vinyl Billboard charts, WE was nominated for a Best Alternative Grammy and described by Variety as “a remarkable new 40-minute opus of intimate depth and profound candor.â and by Stereogum as “the sound of this band condensing what they do best into its most potent form.â

The track listing for Pink Elephant is: