The Strokes: listen to the new track “Going Shopping”, sent to fans on a cassette tape

The Strokes have launched a targeted promotional campaign. Ahead of their new album “Reality Awaits”, expected this summer but still without official details on release date or tracklist, the band led by Julian Casablancas has unveiled a new track in an unconventional way. Through a newsletter launched in recent days, the group selected a hundred fans who, by also providing a mailing address, received a numbered cassette tape containing “Going Shopping”. A limited physical format that reinforces the collectible dimension and the direct relationship with the audience, sidestepping the usual dynamics of streaming. 

The song was then brought to the stage in San Francisco during a recent concert, offering a first live glimpse of it. “Going Shopping” is expected to be part of the tracklist of “Reality Awaits”, though the band has yet to officially confirm the album's details.

Signs of a comeback had already emerged in the preceding weeks. During recent live dates and alongside the announcement of their Coachella appearance, the band had shared a series of visuals consistent with the retro aesthetic of the official announcement. Images of notebooks and cassette tapes had hinted at ongoing studio work, while SMS-based campaigns had teased an imminent message to fans, with the explicit promise to "share something soon".

In 2023, Julian Casablancas had suggested a new album was still a long way off, but the involvement of producer Rick Rubin — who had already worked on “The New Abnormal” — reignited expectations. The sessions, held in Costa Rica, were described by Rubin as remarkably smooth, to the point of becoming a top-tier recording experience.

The announcement coincides with the Strokes' return to live performance: on April 4th they played at The Warfield in San Francisco alongside Alex Cameron, in preparation for their two headlining sets scheduled for April 11th and 18th at Coachella. The lineup also includes names such as Interpol, Geese and The XX, further cementing the generational and stylistic context of the event.

During the break between records, the band members kept up significant side activity. Casablancas focused on his project The Voidz, while Albert Hammond Jr. continued his solo career, releasing the album "Melodies On Hiatus" in 2023.

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