When David Byrne takes to our Obelisk Arena as one of the landmark headliners for our 20th edition, he does so armed not only with a celebrated legacy spanning five decades, but with one of the most intriguing records of his solo career: Who Is the Sky? In the album, Byrne invites us into a world defined by joy, curiosity, and the human imagination. At Latitude, that invitation will be felt in every note.
Released in September last year via Matador Records, Who Is the Sky? marks Byrne’s first solo album in seven years – a richly textured work that finds the artist balancing the cerebral with the deeply human. Built on a blend of optimism and reflection, the record is co-produced by Grammy-winning producer Kid Harpoon and arranged alongside the adventurous New York chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra.
The album unfurls across twelve compositions that juxtapose inventive sonic landscapes with Byrne’s signature lyrical inquisitiveness. From the buoyant opener Everybody Laughs, whose groove and warmth reveal Byrne’s enduring fascination with collective experience, to moments of intimate levity like My Apartment Is My Friend, the record suggests a profound meditation on connection, identity, and the simple quirks of being alive.
Here are some of our personal favourite tracks from the album:
Everybody Laughs
Everybody Laughs is the lead single from the album. Described by Byrne as “a love song to humanity”, the song reveals his enduring fascination with our collective experience – we all laugh, cry, live, die. With guest backing vocals from St Vincent, the song is an uplifting tribute to the innately human qualities that unite us all.
When We Are Singing
When We Are Singing is a song about what it feels like to perform and sing, and getting lost in the moment. Fun fact – the “guitar” solos originating straight from Byrne’s mouth were meant to just be placeholders for actual guitars in the demo version, but they were ultimately kept in for the final record.
What Is The Reason For It?
Byrne recounts how he was once called “an anthropologist from Mars”. What Is The Reason For It? positions itself as if from that point of view – an alien or outsider with little understanding of the world we live in. With a mariachi flair, Byrne, along with guest vocalist Hayley Williams, asks the big questions: What is love? What does it do? What does it do to us? What is the reason for it?
I Met The Buddha At A Downtown Party
I Met The Buddha At A Downtown Party is the telling of a story, as if the Buddha himself was, as the title suggests, at a party in downtown New York. In the story, Byrne finds the Buddha hanging around at the buffet table. He questions why he is there, and the Buddha responds that he’s “given up on the enlightenment biz”. It’s fun, dark and deep at the same time, with an inspiring message at the end.
The Avant Garde
Absurdist, experimental, and uniquely David, The Avant Garde depicts Byrne’s love for venturing into the aforementioned ‘avant garde’, and the inspiration he feels exploring edgier and untraditional soundscapes (despite some trepidation).
Byrne’s new material promises to resonate with the same adventurous spirit that has defined his music and performance for his entire career thus far. Given his ability to transform studio innovation into compelling live experience – as seen in his recent tours that meld choreography with visual storytelling – his performance in Henham Park this July is poised to be one of the most richly layered and memorable of the weekend, and possibly in our history.
