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There’s something unspoken that lingers in “Lonely Hunter” — a ghost in the groove. Released as part of Foals’ 2015 album What Went Down, this track is less about the dancefloor frenzy the band is known for, and more about a haunted pursuit through the fog of isolation.
If What Went Down was a burning, crashing aircraft of emotion, then Lonely Hunter is the smoke trailing behind — slow, heavy, poetic.
🛠️ The Machinery Behind the Emotion
This is not a song born by accident. It’s a product of careful construction and raw feeling, helmed by some of the best behind-the-scenes minds in modern rock:
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🎚️ Produced by James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Simian Mobile Disco)
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🎧 Mixed by Alan Moulder (Nine Inch Nails, The Killers)
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🎙️ Engineered by Jimmy Robertson
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🎚️ Mastered by John Davis
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🥁 Drums: Jack Bevan
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🎹 Keyboards: Edwin Congreave
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🎸 Bass Guitar / Backing Vocals: Walter Gervers
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🎸 Lead Guitar / Synth / Vocals: Yannis Philippakis
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🎸 Guitar / Synth / Keys: Jimmy Smith
James Ford contributes a lot more than production — he’s all over the synths and percussion, adding that layer of mechanical tension beneath the human heart of the track.
💬 Lyrical Shadows
“I was a lonely hunter, in the dark I found her…”
The lyrics ache with desire and detachment — the voice of someone walking into a storm, even when they know they won’t make it out dry. Yannis Philippakis, who leads with both guitar and vocal, delivers these lines not with drama, but with restraint — like someone too tired to shout, but too restless to stay quiet.
🔊 A Quiet Loudness
Unlike Foals’ festival-shaking anthems (My Number, Inhaler), “Lonely Hunter” is drenched in mood. The guitars shimmer like heat off metal, the bass hums low like a warning, and the percussion pulses with minimalist discipline.
It’s not about volume — it’s about presence.
It’s the soundtrack to introspection, to a cigarette smoked on a rooftop, to a long walk back from a night that didn’t end well.
📀 From the Album: What Went Down (2015)
The album remains a critical high for Foals, a beautiful mix of chaos and clarity. If the title track kicks down the door, and “Mountain At My Gates” climbs it, “Lonely Hunter” is the moment you stare out the window wondering if it was all worth it.
🌀 Final Thoughts
Lonely Hunter isn’t a single. It’s not a chart-topper.
It’s the kind of song you stumble into — and then carry with you.
If you ever needed a soundtrack to your late-night thoughts, Foals wrote it in 2015. And it still fits like a shadow.
🖤 Foals are worth the deep dive.
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