Watch Foreign Air Deliver A Funky 80s Synth Sound In New Video For “Smile”
Bobby Caughron 
Alternative duo Foreign Air announced they will release their third studio album, Such That I May Glow, on August 22, 2025. The record is darkly ruminative and imminently danceable, abundant in soaring melodies and atmospheric ’80s synths. Front men Jesse Clasen and Jacob Michael, the duo behind the indie-pop band, explain, “The whole record is about finding purpose. It is a snapshot of the chaos, what we’re all up against, and how we need to stay positive.” With Jesse in North Carolina and Jacob in DC, the pair met up for about a week each month, hibernating in their studio as a haven to drown out the world and focus on the recording process. The result is a record that interrogates the present, then transports you elsewhere — and it’s nice there
Today, they share the new single, “Smile.” The band adds, “It is a testament to resilience and optimism in the face of everyday adversity. It’s a song about pushing forward, riding the highs and lows with unwavering spirit. It reminds us that even in our darkest moments, there’s gold in our hearts—and we’re never alone.”
The accompanying video for “Smile,” directed by longtime collaborator Josh Thomas, draws inspiration from the psychological sci-fi series Severance, imagining a world where emotional duality is split into two isolated realms—one public, one private. With surreal, corporate dream-logic visuals and eerie symmetry, the video explores the tension between escape and assimilation in modern life.
To celebrate the release, they have announced a trio of shows – August 20th in New York, 21st in Jacob’s hometown of DC, and 26th in Los Angeles. Tickets are on-sale today and details can be found below.
Foreign Air broke onto the scene with their glitchy, spectral single “Free Animal,” which became an immediate hit and sync darling with Nike, Samsung, Vodafone, Microsoft, Showtime, ABC, and Vice all using the track. In October 2020, they released their debut album, Good Morning Stranger, followed by their 2022 sophomore album, Hello Sunshine, which featured K.Flay as a co-writer on the track “Blue Days.” Known for their dark, grooving alt-electronic anthems, Foreign Air has been streamed more than 200 million times on Spotify and Apple, praised by tastemakers like Billboard, Alt Press, and Grammy.com, and they have toured with notable acts like Phantogram, Bishop Briggs, Bleachers, Anna Shoemaker, and more.
Stay tuned for more to come from Foreign Air.
FOREIGN AIR ALBUM RELEASE SHOWS:
8/20 New York, NY Night Club 101
8/21 Washington, DC The Atlantis
8/26 Los Angeles, CA The Moroccan Lounge
https://www.instagram.com/foreign_air
https://www.facebook.com/foreignair
About The Author
