Foals welcome bassist Walter Gervers back to the band

nme.com:

Foals have announced that former bassist Walter Gervers has re-joined the band.The band, who are currently gearing up for a run of intimate UK out-store shows before hitting the road to support Paramore in South America and then later return to headline Reading & Leeds, had previously teased to NME that they’d have a “surprise” for fans about who’d be playing with them at the upcoming gigs.Now, they’ve revealed that Gervers is back in the line-up, following his departure from the group in 2017.“After six years in the alpine wilderness guess who’s back in the band?,” wrote frontman Yannis Philippakis in an Instagram post of his fellow Foals members in the pub with Gervers. “Walter is back and better than ever.

Rejoining for all the coming shows and into the future. Get ready, the boys are back in business.”The band then went on to share footage of the reunited line-up back in rehearsals.A post shared by Yannis Philippakis (@ynnsphilippakis)A post shared by FOALS (@foals)Gervers previously left the group in order to “pursue a new life”.

The band remained a four-piece before becoming a trio when keyboardist Edwin Congreave left in 2021 to focus on his studies and environmental work.

Following Gervers’ exit, live bass duties have been carried out by Everything Everything’s Jeremy Pritchard and Jagwar Ma’s Jack Freeman.Speaking to NME in 2019 ahead of the release of ‘Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part One’ – their first record without Gervers – Philippakis spoke of how the band felt without him as “the counsellor” of Foals.“Walter was probably the nicest member of Foals, so without him, you’re left with four sharp edges in a room,” said Yannis.