Spoon Detail New Album and Share Samples of ‘They Want My Soul’

Spoon will release their new album, They Want My Soul on August 5th, and the band has made snippets of some album cuts, including the title track, “Knock Knock Knock”, “Inside Out,” and a cover of Ann-Margret’s “I Just Don’t Understand,” available in a new interview with NPR Music.

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The LP follows up Spoon’s 2010 effort Transference and will be released by their new label Loma Vista (they were formerly on indie stalwart Merge). They Want My Soul also marks the first time the band worked with outside producers, including Joe Chiccarelli (Morrissey, Alanis Morissette, the Strokes) and Dave Fridmann (Weezer, MGMT). The record also features contributions from new member Alex Fischel, who played with frontman Britt Daniel in his supergroup Divine Fits.

They Want My Soul arrives after an extended hiatus, which allowed Spoon members to decompress and branch out into new territory. Daniel released a record with the Divine Fits, multi-instrumentalist Eric Harvey released a solo album, drummer Jim Eno focused on producing and bassist Rob Pope opened a bar.

Explaining the long break, Daniel said: “Between 2001 and 2010, we put out five records, which is not a lot by Sixties standards. But in terms of today’s standards, it’s pretty fast. I mean, especially since concert promoters run the business now. And that’s the way you make money, is doing shows, you know? So we just needed a break. And when we got back together, I felt that that break was a good thing. And we were all excited about playing again.”

Spoon began teasing a new album back in March, releasing a 30-second clip that featured a new song on an Oscilloscope. Before a secret show in Austin, Daniel told Rolling Stone that They Want My Soul was “warmer and more inclusive” than Transference, and that he began writing it immediately after his stint with the Divine Fits. “It helped me remember that this is what it’s like to write everything all at once,” he said.

Spoon is currently on the road, hitting plenty of festivals this summer, including this weekend’s Governor’s Ball in New York City, Forecastle Festival, Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, Made in America and Austin City Limits Music Festival.