Over the past twenty years, Future Islands have travelled a rare arc — from promising newcomers to something closer to a best-kept secret, from cult favourites to a band that has quietly endured.
Rather than marking the moment with a traditional ‘best of’, they now present From a Hole in the Floor to a Fountain of Youth – an immediate and accessible collection, with many of these songs appearing on streaming services for the first time. It brings together rarities, long-hidden recordings, and songs that have lived quietly among fans, reflecting the full shape of the band’s path. The album will be released on 22 May, and today, the band shares two new tracks from it — ‘The Ink Well’ and ‘One Day’.
As the title suggests, this double LP traces a journey from humble beginnings toward something wider and more open. Twenty songs spanning twenty years — four members of the band, four sides of vinyl. These songs reveal a group comfortable with subtlety, grace, and emotional endurance — and sounding more complete than ever.
The songs were first gathered into a playlist by bassist William Cashion, who also chose the title:
“I’ve always loved the imagery of that lyric,” he says. “The hole in the floor is the everyday, but the fountain is what happens when the life you dreamed about becomes the one you’re living. It’s the dream and the reality existing in the same room.”
A Tennessee Williams quote captures a similar idea: “Time is the longest distance between two places.” It’s in that distance that the floor separates from the fountain.
Future Islands can still swell and surge, but this release turns toward something quieter and more reflective. “This is for everyone who has carried these songs with them,” Cashion explains, “from the first house parties to the rooms we’re playing today.”
From a Hole in the Floor to a Fountain of Youth will be released digitally, and on CD and Blue & Apricot double LP, on 22 May 2026.
Future Islands – From a Hole in the Floor to a Fountain of Youth
Tracklisting
01. The Ink Well (2010)
Produced and Mixed by Chester Endersby Gwazda
Original Release: Split 7” with Lonnie Walker (Friends Records, FR003)
Recorded at Chester’s house in Baltimore, MD
02. Pinnochio (2009)
Produced and Mixed by Chester Endersby Gwazda
Original Release: Feathers & Hallways 7” (Upset the Rhythm, UTR027)
Recorded at Ghost House in Oakland, CA during our first full US tour, 2008
Additional tracking at Chester’s house, Baltimore, MD
03. The Happiness of Being Twice (2009)
Produced and Mixed by Chester Endersby Gwazda
Original Release: Feathers & Hallways 7” (Upset the Rhythm, UTR027)
Recorded at Ghost House in Oakland, CA during our first full US tour, 2008
Additional tracking at Chester’s house, Baltimore, MD
04. In The Fall (2010)
Produced and Mixed by Chester Endersby Gwazda
Additional Vocals: Katrina Ford
Original Release: In the Fall EP (Thrill Jockey, Thrill 12.41)
Recorded at Chester’s house in Baltimore, MD
05. Awake and Dreaming (2010)
Produced and Mixed by Chester Endersby Gwazda
Live Drums: Denny Bowen
Original Release: In the Fall EP (Thrill Jockey, Thrill 12.41)
Recorded at Chester’s house in Baltimore, MD
06. Virgo Distracts (2010)
Produced and Mixed by Chester Endersby Gwazda
Live Drums: Denny Bowen
Original Release: In the Fall EP (Thrill Jockey, Thrill 12.41)
Recorded at Chester’s house in Baltimore, MD
07. Find Love (2011)
Produced and Mixed by Chester Endersby Gwazda
Original Release: Before the Bridge 7” (Thrill Jockey, Thrill 284)
Recorded at Chester’s house in Baltimore, MD
08. Cotton Flower (2012)
Produced and Mixed by Chester Endersby Gwazda
Original Release: LAMC No. 2 split 7” with Ed Schrader’s Music Beat (Famous Class
Records, FC015)
Recorded at Chester’s house in Baltimore, MD
09. The Fountain (2012)
Produced and Mixed by Chester Endersby Gwazda
Original Release: Tomorrow 7” (Upset the Rhythm, UTR055)
Recorded at Chester’s house in Baltimore, MD
10. Tomorrow (2012)
Produced and Mixed by Chester Endersby Gwazda
Original Release: Tomorrow 7” (Upset the Rhythm, UTR055)
Recorded at Chester’s house in Baltimore, MD
11. One Day (2014)
Produced by Chris Coady
Mixed by Chester Endersby Gwazda
Live Drums: Denny Bowen
Original Release: Seasons 7” (4AD, AD3406)
Recorded at Dreamland Recording Studios in Hurley, NY, during the Singles sessions, Fall 2013
12. The Chase (2015)
Produced and Mixed by Jim Eno
Original Release: The Chase 7” (4AD, AD3517)
Recorded at Public Hi-Fi in Austin, TX, March 2015
13. Calliope (2018)
Produced and Mixed by John Congleton
Original Release: Adult Swim Singles Program
Recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, CA during The Far Field sessions, Fall 2016
14. Six Weeks (2017)
Produced and Mixed by John Congleton
Original Release: The Far Field Japanese bonus track (4AD, 4AD0001CDJ)
Recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, CA during The Far Field sessions, Fall 2016
15. Haunted By You (2015)
Produced and Mixed by Jim Eno
Original Release: The Chase 7” (4AD, AD3517)
Recorded at Public Hi-Fi in Austin, TX, March 2015
16. Sail (2025)
Produced by Steve Wright & Future Islands
Mixed by Chris Coady
Original Release: VIP tour-only 7”
Recorded at WrightWay Studios in Baltimore, MD during the As Long As You Are sessions
17. As Long As You Are (2025)
Produced by Steve Wright & Future Islands
Mixed by Chris Coady
Original Release: VIP tour-only 7”
Recorded at WrightWay Studios in Baltimore, MD during the As Long As You Are sessions
18. Days (2020)
Produced by Steve Wright & Future Islands
Mixed by Steve Wright
Original Release: As Long As You Are Japanese bonus track (4AD, 4AD0001CDJ)
Recorded at WrightWay Studios in Baltimore, MD during the As Long As You Are sessions
19. Rager (demo)
Produced by Steve Wright & Future Islands
Mixed by Chris Coady
Previously Unreleased
Recorded at home and WrightWay Studios in Baltimore, MD
20. Glimpse (2024)
Produced by Steve Wright & Future Islands
Mixed by Chris Coady & Steve Wright
Original Release: VIP tour-only 7” (4AD, 4AD0795)
Recorded at WrightWay Studios in Baltimore, MD during the People Who Aren’t There Anymore sessions
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