Sophia Michaels
Phoenix appeared onThe Late Show to perform their latest single “Tonight,” which features Vampire Weekend singer Ezra Koenig on vocals. The French rock group showcased the song on the late-night show stage using the same split screen vibe as the track’s official music video, with segments of Koenig from the video edited in.
“Tonight” comes off Alpha Zulu, Phoenix’s new LP, out Nov. 4 via Loyaute/Glassnote Records. The song marks the first time Phoenix has featured an outside vocalist on a song. The video, directed by Oscar Boyson, was shot in Tokyo and Paris, with Koenig and the band inhabiting similar spaces in different parts of the world.
Alpha Zulu was produced by Phoenix and recorded in Paris’ Musée des Arts Décoratifs. The band teased the album with its title track back in June. According to a press release, frontman Thomas Mars was inspired to write the track by the phrase “alpha zulu,” which he “heard a pilot repeating over the radio during a turbulent flight in a storm.”
Phoenix is currently on the North American leg of their tour, which kicked off Sept. 6 in St. Paul, Minnesota and wraps Oct. 18 at the Pepsi Center in Mexico City. A string of European and U.K. dates will follow. The band will also perform at Austin City Limits in October.
