For Temples, "BLISS" represents creative freedom and a shared sense of joy in making music
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NEWS - For Temples, "BLISS" represents creative freedom and a shared sense of joy in making music
Temples’ name has become synonymous with a band with an adventurous spirit; constantly exploring new ideas. On their fifth album, BLISS, they shake up the perception of the Kettering-formed four-piece with a record that ventures into electronic territory while staying true to their core DNA. Euphoric and melancholic melodies of late ‘90s dance music blend with psych-tinged riffs and loops to create something fresh.
After the 2023 release of Exotico felt overlooked, the band - James Bagshaw (vocals/guitar), Thomas Walmsley (bass), Adam Smith (keyboards/guitar), and Rens Ottink (drums) - hit a creative standstill. “There’s so much more to us as a band and as a group of people,” says Walmsley. “We’re completely reconnecting with why we started and who we’re making the music for - which is ourselves.
Reinvigorated, Temples signed with V2 Records and returned to working together in person. Unlike Exotico, BLISS was produced entirely by the band. Bagshaw explains: “It was very freeing. It felt like you could just improvise.” The album features self-sampling, creating a shared palette of sounds that could be lifted, reversed, or reimagined across tracks - “building up audio Pantones,” as Bagshaw puts it.
Sonically, BLISS reinterprets dance music in Temples’ style.
