The Strokes have officially broken a four-year silence, announcing that their seventh studio album, Reality Awaits, will be released on Friday, June 26. To signal the return, the New York City indie stalwarts released the lead single “Going Shopping,” a track that blends the band’s signature guitar work with breezy synth elements designed for the summer festival circuit.
The rollout for the new material has been characterized by a deliberate, analog nostalgia. Before the official streaming launch of “Going Shopping,” the band sent physical cassettes of the song to a select group of fans, sparking a wave of online bootlegs and speculation. The track was subsequently debuted live during a performance in San Francisco before hitting digital platforms.
This marks the band’s first major project since the 2020 release of The New Abnormal. The new album was recorded in Costa Rica under the guidance of legendary producer Rick Rubin, with final production touches completed in various locations around the globe. The project will be released via Cult Records and RCA Records.
Frontman Julian Casablancas delivers a laid-back performance on the new single, singing, “goin’ out my mind, throwin’ all my plans out the window,” a lyric that mirrors the loose, atmospheric energy of the track.
A Shift in Creative Philosophy
The return of The Strokes comes after a period of public uncertainty regarding the band’s internal dynamics. In 2024, Casablancas spoke openly about “stepping away” from the group to dedicate more energy to his other project, The Voidz. While he described his role in The Strokes as a “very cool day job” that he was honored to hold, he admitted that the band had reached a point where the momentum felt stagnant.
In a candid reflection on the band’s trajectory, Casablancas suggested that the group had previously fallen into a “mechanism” that kept them together primarily for financial reasons. According to Casablancas, this focus on security pushed the band’s creative impulses into the background, which he felt was an unsustainable way to develop as an artist.
He drew parallels to legacy acts like Bon Jovi and Green Day, noting that while such bands can maintain a career indefinitely, the risk of staying still is a creative death. Citing a quote from Miles Davis—”The real risk is not changing”—Casablancas emphasized that the impetus for Reality Awaits was a desire to search for something unexplored, even if it meant dismantling the status quo of the band’s established sound.
Visual Identity and Art Direction
The aesthetic for the new era is as curated as the music. The artwork for Reality Awaits was art directed and designed by Johann Rashid. The imagery is a direct homage to Richard Prince’s 1989 original work, Untitled (Cowboy), bridging the gap between the band’s New York art-rock roots and a more expansive, Americana-influenced visual palette.
Global Tour and Festival Timeline
The announcement of the new album is timed to coincide with a heavy touring schedule. The band is set to perform at Coachella this weekend, marking a high-profile return to the stage before a string of headline appearances at some of the world’s most prominent music festivals.
| Event/Festival | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Coachella | Indio, California | Confirmed |
| Bonnaroo | Manchester, Tennessee | Headline Appearance |
| Outside Lands | San Francisco, California | Headline Appearance |
| Summer Sonic | Japan | Headline Appearance |
While these dates are currently locked in, the band has indicated that further world tour dates will be announced in the coming weeks and months to support the June release of the album.
For those looking to secure a copy of the new record, Reality Awaits is currently available for pre-order via the band’s official channels and distribution partners.
The immediate focus for the band remains their upcoming performance at Coachella, which will serve as the first major live showcase for the material from Reality Awaits. Following the festival run, the industry will be watching for the official June 26 album drop and the subsequent announcement of a full global tour itinerary.
We want to hear from you. Does the “Going Shopping” sound signal a new direction for the band, or a return to their classic NYC roots? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
