Bastille: An interview with Dan Smith, Chris Wood, Kyle Simmons and Will Farquarson at Victorious Festival

Festival hopping sounds like the perfect description for this summer’s activity of synth-pop rock band Bastille, as the four-piece run across the country to perform at three festivals (Reading, Victorious and Leeds) in three days for the utter satisfaction of fans. Dan Smith, Chris Wood, Kyle Simmons and Will Farquarson know how to put on a show that is not only a pleasure for the ears but, most importantly, a fully enjoyable experience in big crowds, and they confirmed it time and time again during this August Bank Holiday: dancing until the ground trembled and engaging on and off stage, all with state-of-the-art video installations playing out in the background.

Just a few weeks ago, an extended edition of their latest project, Give Me the Future + Dreams of the Past, was released as the completion of a concept album tackling themes of escapism, nostalgia, technology and relationships, featuring mixtapes and top-level collaborations, and marked by synth-pop and hyper-danceable rhythms.

The Upcoming caught up with the band just before their show at Portsmouth’s Victorious festival to talk about the inspiration behind their live performances, their most fun song to play and the style of their new hits.

Cristiana Ferrauti

For further information and future events visit Bastille’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Shut Off the Lights here: