A significant part of Future Islands’ appeal is the band’s abilities as live performers, particularly singer Samuel T. Herring. He’s as enthusiastic as anybody who has ever held a microphone on stage, and his energy is infectious. Sadly, the pandemic has robbed the group of the chance to tour behind their upcoming album As Long As You Are, but they got a live performance in last night on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Backed by rainbow-colored lighting, the group ran through “For Sure,” with Herring being his typically animated, evocative, and delightful self.
Meanwhile, Herring recently spoke about his famous Late Show With David Letterman performance, admitting, “It’s taken me six years to come to terms with Letterman.” He didn’t always love the reaction he and the band received for their viral performance, but now he has come to appreciate the moment: “Lots of people said: ‘This guy dances like nobody’s watching.’ But no. I was dancing like I knew everyone was watching. I was actually holding back. That’s what was going on in my head — don’t go too far. […] These days, you’re bombarded with what everybody else thinks. It can really affect how you feel about yourself, and it did for years, but now I know that performance meant a great deal to a lot of people. I can’t dispute the fact that it revolutionized our careers. It did so much for us, I should see that as a positive.”
Watch Future Islands perform “For Sure” above, and revisit our recent interview with the group here.