Japandroids Drop New Single ‘All Bets Are Off’

‘All Best Are Off’ is the closing track from the noise-rock duo’s final album, Fate & Alcohol.

Image by Dan Monick

As they prepare for the release of their fourth and final album, Japandroids have shared their latest single, ‘All Bets Are Off’.

The closing song from David Prowse and Brian King’s final album Fate & Alcohol addresses the connections and relationships made on a big night out, with the song inspired by an entry in King’s personal journal.

“Night off. I could have rested though (of course) I didn't. The crew were on one and the party was well underway when I arrived. The other patrons didn't seem to appreciate our noisy and colourful presence (squares), but the boys were blissfully unaware, hurling hot words at one another and making absurd bets with their per diems, like whether it was possible to light a cigarette with a pistol shot. I knew where this was going and wanted no part of it. 

I slunk to a shadowy corner and ordered a cocktail, spur to my jaded spirits. I was gathering material for a book on bar life and it was the perfect place to watch the hungry hearts of Saturday twist towards the blue emptiness of Sunday morning. Poolroom tigers and nightclub kittens, on the prowl for a piece of anything. Cups and lips, quips and quirks, I frantically jotted it all down sparing no detail. Another cocktail? Don't mind if I do! The night was primed and I felt punk.

Seeing her immediately stripped me of my powers. A thousand thoughts, frozen and kept in cold storage, thawed all at once. She was not the same woman I had known, exuding a subtle elegance and sensuality I had never seen before; she looked breathtaking. Every exquisite nuance like salt on old love-cuts. Chicly dressed too, which added to my agony. The imbalance between us was obvious, making me self-conscious. Still, I decided to let it play out. Cue the music.”

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Prowse and King met as students at the University of Victoria in British Columbia in 2006. After forming Japandroids, the duo relocated to Vancouver and released their critically acclaimed 2009 debut album, Post-Nothing.

They followed Post-Nothing with the commercially successful Celebration Rock in 2012, another well-received record that led to Japandroids touring the globe, performing a massive 500 shows in 44 countries. The duo took several years off after the tour ended before returning in 2017 with Near to the Wild Heart of Life.

Fate & Alcohol marks Japandroids’ final album, putting an exclamation point on their enduring legacy, although the lads are hesitant to think about the impact their music has had. They see the album as a gift for fans to savour and enjoy.

“I don't think we're the most technically proficient band in the world,” Prowse says. “And we're not the most original-sounding or challenging band in the world. But we've always put a lot of passion into what we do, and I think that's resonated with a lot of people. And I'm really grateful that we could be that band for people, in the same way that so many bands were for us.” 

Fate & Alcohol is released October 18 via Anti-. You can pre-order your copy here and check out the album artwork and tracklist below.

Fate & Alcohol

1. Eye Contact High

2. D&T

3. Alice

4. Chicago

5. Upon Sober Reflection

6. Fugitive Summer

7. A Gaslight Anthem

8. Positively 34th Street

9. One Without the Other

10. All Bets Are Off

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