Cloud Nothings have announced a new studio album, Final Summer, and shared its latest single, “Running Through the Campus.”
Due on April 19th, Final Summer is Cloud Nothings’ first release on Pure Noise Records, and marks their ninth or 10th album “depending on how you look at it,” according to the band’s Dylan Baldi. Speaking to the record’s themes, Baldi said: “It’s about feeling alright in the moment. A lot of these songs sorta ended up being about getting by or trying to keep improving despite everything.”
To that end, he cites Cloud Nothings’ constant drive to make new music as a leading factor in Final Summer’s sound. “I just like making things,” Baldi said. “I love having something that I’ve made by the end of the day, even if it’s just one song. It’s like proof that my day happened. I’m just always trying to refine the thing we do, which is to make songs that take you from one place to another.”
The single, “Running Through the Campus,” follows the previously-released title track, and features the band’s signature sound, stacking layers of guitars beneath easy-flowing vocal hooks. Speaking about the song, Baldi explained it was inspired by his daily run through a nearby college campus.
“Occasionally it’s after dark when I end up there, and the emptiness of it at night stands in stark contrast to the hectic and crowded early mornings,” Baldi said. “’Running through the Campus’ is about an intrusive thought I can have on those late-night runs, about whether or not it’s slightly depressing that I’m out running around alone while everyone else is gone and actually doing something, probably with other people. The song describes my mindset at the start of my run, goes into a reckoning with and acceptance of the late night loneliness, and ends on a positive note about just doing the things that make you feel good and not getting bogged down in comparisons.”
“Running Through the Campus” arrived with a music video directed by Errick Easterday, which you can watch below. Pre-orders for Final Summer are ongoing.
Final Summer Artwork:
Final Summer Tracklist:
01. Final Summer
02. Daggers of Light
03. I’d Get Along
04. Mouse Policy
05. Silence
06. Running Through the Campus
07. The Golden Halo
08. Thank Me for Playing
09. On the Chain
10. Common Mistake