Interpol have revealed details of their eighth studio album, This Mirror Weighs A Ton, marking the New York band’s first album in four years and their first release through Partisan Records.
by Paul Cashmere
Interpol will return on August 28 with This Mirror Weighs A Ton, the band’s first studio album since 2022’s The Other Side Of Make-Believe. To coincide with the announcement, the influential New York post-punk group has released the album’s opening two tracks, the title song This Mirror Weighs A Ton and the companion single See Out Loud, offering the first indication of the direction of their new material.
The release is a significant moment for a band that has remained one of the defining names of the post-punk revival movement that emerged from New York in the early 2000s. Since the breakthrough success of Turn On The Bright Lights in 2002, Interpol have maintained a distinctive musical identity built around intricate guitar interplay, atmospheric arrangements and Paul Banks’ unmistakable vocal delivery.
With This Mirror Weighs A Ton, the group appears to be broadening that foundation. The album was produced by Andrew Wyatt, whose recent credits include work with Rosalía and Charli XCX, and mixed by David Fridmann, known for projects with MGMT and Sleater-Kinney. According to information released with the announcement, the record incorporates strings, woodwinds, layered vocal harmonies, acoustic guitars and experimental sound design while retaining the rhythmic and melodic framework that has defined Interpol’s catalogue.
The project was recorded at Wyatt’s studio on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The sessions marked the first time in more than a decade that Interpol had made an album in their original New York home base, a city that has long been intertwined with the band’s identity.
The two newly released songs showcase contrasting sides of the album. The title track unfolds gradually through textured bass lines, atmospheric production and layered vocal treatments, reflecting a more expansive sonic approach. In contrast, See Out Loud leans into the tension and urgency associated with Interpol’s classic recordings, driven by sharp guitar work and tightly structured rhythms.
One notable feature of See Out Loud is a vocal contribution from guitarist Daniel Kessler. It marks his first prominent vocal appearance on an Interpol recording since PDA from the band’s landmark debut album Turn On The Bright Lights.
The arrival of This Mirror Weighs A Ton extends a career that began in Manhattan in 1997 when Kessler, Paul Banks, Carlos Dengler and Greg Drudy formed the group. After drummer Sam Fogarino replaced Drudy in 2000, the band became central figures in New York’s rapidly emerging independent rock scene alongside acts such as The Strokes and The National.
Interpol’s debut album Turn On The Bright Lights established the band’s reputation internationally, while follow-up releases Antics and Our Love To Admire expanded their audience and commercial reach. Following bassist Carlos Dengler’s departure in 2010, Banks assumed bass duties in the studio for subsequent albums including El Pintor, Marauder and The Other Side Of Make-Believe.
The new album also arrives during a period of transition within the group’s line-up. Longtime touring members Brandon Curtis and Brad Truax have now been formally integrated into Interpol’s core membership. Truax performs bass on the new album, ending Banks’ extended role as the band’s studio bassist. The move reflects the reality of Interpol’s live and recording configuration after years of collaboration between the musicians.
Meanwhile, drummer Sam Fogarino continues to be involved in recording activities despite remaining absent from touring commitments following health issues. Urian Hackney has taken over live drumming duties during the band’s current touring cycle.
For Interpol, the challenge of balancing artistic evolution with audience expectations has been present throughout much of their career. The band’s signature sound has often attracted comparisons to influential post-punk acts including Joy Division, Television, Echo & The Bunnymen and The Chameleons. While those references helped establish Interpol’s reputation, each successive album has sought to expand beyond those early comparisons.
The release of This Mirror Weighs A Ton suggests another stage in that progression. The combination of new instrumentation, different production influences and a refreshed line-up signals a willingness to experiment while remaining connected to the musical characteristics that established the band’s standing.
With the album due in August and extensive international touring already planned, including dates across North America and Europe later in the year, Interpol enter the second half of 2026 with a renewed sense of momentum. Whether the album represents a dramatic reinvention or a subtle evolution, it stands as the latest chapter in a career that has now spanned nearly three decades.
Tracklisting:
This Mirror Weighs A Ton
See Out Loud
Iron City
Wounded Soldier
Wings On Fire
Ever The Actor
So Rides The Reindeer
Darling Thoughts
Wake Up
Enemy
Bird And The Serpent
Sudden Background
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