The Horrors dance through the darkness with Night Life

In the nearly twenty years since first haunting our collective consciousness, The Horrors have been a band that has continually evolved. Led by the enigmatic Faris Badwan, the UK band have sonically transformed with each album release, morphing from their goth-adjacent garage-rock origins into a world of shoegazed neo-psychedelia before once again moving into the world of dream-pop and electronic. On their most recent release, Night Life, Badwan and Co. have once again pivoted and this time found themselves stripping away many of the layers that they previously cherished. The result is a spacious, industrially charged indie disco that, while a new twisting of genres for the group, maintains the group’s characteristic darkness and innate pop sensibilities. To celebrate the new album, the Horrors are set to embark on their first Australian headline tour in over a decade; playing the Rosemount Hotel on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, with tickets on sale now. MICHAEL HOLLICK caught up with Faris Badwan to discuss the evolution of the group’s sound, the secret to longevity, and what to expect from the upcoming tour.

While we have been waiting fourteen years here in Perth for The Horrors to return, I believe you last headed down under just last year?

That’s right, we were asked to play Dark Mofo, and that was amazing. It is probably my favourite festival that I’ve ever been to. Saying it’s unique is a bit of an understatement; so much care is put into making it a unique experience for both the bands and audiences. I think it’s even more unique than something like Glastonbury. And for the show, we were in this beautiful theatre—it was truly something special.

Speaking of special and unique, what did you think of Hobart and its surroundings?

I loved being in Hobart, and I loved MONA. I thought it had such a great atmosphere, especially at night. There was so much stuff to look at. I loved being there when everyone had kind of gone home as well. It’s quite eerie in places.

Was Night Life already out when you played Dark Mofo? And if so, did tracks from it feature in your set?

It was, and we did play some stuff from Night Life then, but we played stuff from across our records, which we sort of always do. On these upcoming Australian dates, we get to play for a bit longer, so we get the chance to approach it as our own shows, which will allow time for those deeper cuts.

Talking about Night Life specifically, what was the process behind the writing and recording of the record?

The creation of the record was quite an insular process because I spent most of the writing period in Rhys Webb’s bedroom. We were making a record with very little outside expectations. I think that in terms of the frame of mind or the mood, it felt quite dissociative at points. I spent a lot of time on my own.

The reason we chose the title Night Life is because of the contrast in Rhys’ and my experience of the night. His is more of a social, connected one, and mine is a bit more introspective. Due to that, there’s more space on this record to exemplify how the mood gets into that feeling of alienation and isolation. It touches on those a bit more than the other records.

This album is incredibly spacious, which is something quite difficult to achieve on a recording. How did you conceive and implement tracks with ‘empty’ space?

I think the spaciousness definitely comes with maturity; you learn nuance the more you do stuff. I definitely feel like it’s easier to evoke atmospheres and express feelings in the gaps. The gaps and the spaces in a record are one of the biggest factors in what sets the mood.

As we were working, we were spending as much time stripping stuff away as we were actually building it. I really liked that part of the process; it’s something that we’ll go further with in the future because I love seeing how little you need to actually make a song effective. I think it’s cool just to see how much you can take away and still keep that feeling. The space almost allows a place for the audience to exist within.

It allows the listener to inhabit the songs rather than just being hit by a wall of sound.

Yeah, definitely. It allows the listener to find their own meaning in them. We’ve always been interested in creating atmospheres and moods, and I think this record is probably the most successful we’ve been at that.

Was the rest of the band receptive to this ‘less is more’ direction?

Everyone in the band is very supportive of each other, and I think everyone’s on the same page in terms of what we’re trying to achieve. When new ideas come up, and they’re shared amongst the group, it doesn’t really feel like a challenge. It feels more like a natural progression.

That might explain why the band has thrived for almost two decades. It’s a testament to that shared vision.

Yeah, I think so. We’ve always been very close and very supportive of each other. That’s a big part of why we’ve been able to continue to make music together for so long.

I’m really looking forward to seeing you guys play at the Rosemount.

Yeah, me too. I can’t wait.

The Horrors bring their Night Life Tour to Rosemount Hotel on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Tickets are on sale now from oztix.com