Beirut stopped by the Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night to perform the title track off their recently-released fifth studio album Gallipoli. It was a fairly straightforward performance, with the band set on a simple stage, letting frontman Zach Condon’s gorgeous vocals and the haunting brass section take center stage.
Gallipoli was released Feb. 1 via 4AD and was produced by Gabe Wax, who helmed the production for 2015’s No No No. The title track was inspired after a day exploring the Italian city of the same name, according to the lengthy letter Condon shared on Beirut’s website back in October.
“We stumbled into a medieval-fortressed island town of Gallipoli one night and followed a brass band procession fronted by priests carrying a statue of the town’s saint through the winding narrow streets behind what seemed like the entire town," writes Condon. "The next day I wrote the song I ended up calling ‘Gallipoli’ entirely in one sitting, pausing only to eat.”
Beirut will be in Seattle on Wednesday, February 27 to play the Paramount Theatre. Watch their Colbert performance below.
The Game of Thrones star has a rough go of it in the Eoin Glaister-directed video.
"Corfu" steps away from the band's signature sound
The record will be the band's fourth studio album and first since 2015's No No No
