Firestations - International Dust Firestations

A widescreen, synth-powered anthem about class, inequality and access to creativity, ‘Given Power’ is the latest single by eclectic London art-pop ensemble Firestations. It’s the latest taste of the band’s fifth album 'International Dust'. Set for release on limited-edition vinyl and via streaming platforms on October 16, 2026, the album marks a return to Firestations’ full five-piece band format, after a journey into stripped back alt-folk territory on last year’s 'Many White Horses'. It represents another significant step up for a consistently creative band who have re-invented themselves yet again, with an album that feels bigger and fuller at surface level than ever before, yet with deeper, even more thought-provoking foundations lurking beneath. Firestations will tour the UK this autumn – scroll all the way down for a full list of dates below. Firestations are Mike Cranny (vocals, guitar), Laura Copsey (vocals, keys, flute, flugelhorn), Martin Thompson (guitar, synths, piano), Tom Hargreaves (drums, percussion) and Neil Walsh (bass, viola, vocals). Their music spans genres from shoegaze to alt-pop and harmony-driven psychedelia. The nine tracks on new album 'International Dust' encompass an eclectic and intuitive mix of dream-pop, alt-country and hypnotic cyclical numbers, shaped collectively by the band as a unit through various twists and turns at rehearsal sessions during 2024. The album was recorded live at Otterhead Studios in early 2025 (engineered by Ellis Powell-Bevan and Oscar Ball), before being mixed and mastered by James Trevascus (Invada, Portishead, PJ Harvey, Young Fathers). This longer gestation period, combined with having someone outside the band on production duties, “has definitely made for a more expansive and immersive listen,” reckons Mike, “with room for everything to find its place. The musical arrangements this time round also contribute to the immersive feel by exploring the depth of musicianship in the band.”

Lead single ‘An Apparition’ is a dreamy alt-pop number inspired Michael Haneke’s German TV adaptation of Franz Kafka’s The Castle. As well as their primary instruments, Neil’s viola, Laura’s flute and flugelhorn, and Martin’s piano playing feature on multiple songs, taking Firestations to previously uncharted territory. The improvised flute and viola on album opener ‘Hidden Face’ add some playful chaos and menace to proceedings, while on ‘Beginners’ and ‘Sleeping on the Sidelines’, the piano is woven into the mix, giving the tracks a sense of fragility and world-weariness. More surprisingly perhaps, Mike also adds some jazz adjacent tenor saxophone at the end of ‘International Dust’ (“I do love trying to play the saxophone,” says Mike, “I was powerless to resist a sweet little jazzy burst”). ‘Given Power’ strays into bouncy electronic territory, highlighting an interest in electronica (facilitated by Martin’s Ableton wizardry) and how it can elevate a more standard guitar, bass and drums type band format. “The lyrics are about class, and my journey to becoming an artist as a working-class person,” says Laura. “It references certain materials I’ve used previously – water and flour – and how consumed by the process I get. More generally, the track is about inequality and how many people lack access to basic education and resources, despite curiosity and drive.”

The album title itself has to do with the inevitable passing of time and the absurdity of human constructs, created as if permanence was a thing, combined with a questioning of boundaries both imagined and real (as well as being a reference to Silver Jew’s ‘American Water’: try new INTERNATIONAL DUST-!). The album artwork was inspired by a bloated, overgrown maze Laura saw on Reddit several years ago. “The image stayed with me and felt symbolically relevant somehow to the album’s underlying political themes,” she says. The cover was created using Play-Doh, a scanner, and a till receipt printer, with icons made by the band working together in Laura’s studio.