Interpol Drop New Single "Iron City," Paul Banks Talks AI and the Creative Process
New York post-punk band Interpol released a new single, "Iron City," on Tuesday, July 8, 2026 — the third preview track from their ninth studio album, This Mirror Weighs A Ton, due out August 28, 2026 via Partisan Records.
"Iron City": A Dialogue Between Human and AI
Following the Massive Attack-inflected title track and prior single "See Out Loud," "Iron City" pairs Paul Banks's lyrics — built around recurring dream imagery and scenes of walking through Central Park — with interlocking guitars, a driving rhythm section, and atmospheric sound textures. The chorus, "I can feel your love, iron city," runs through the track.
In an interview with NME, Banks laid out the song's concept: it's "a dialogue between a human narrator and an AI that controls everything in the future — is this maternal technology benevolent, or is it angry? The lyrics shift between speaking to it and letting it speak to us."
On fears that AI might replace human artistry, Banks was direct: AI can only build on existing work, and without new human input it will eventually "devolve into a simulacrum, disconnected from human experience." He added that breakthrough creative work always requires a human to go first, giving AI something to imitate in the first place — "it's always human creativity that leads."
Production Credits and What's Next for This Mirror Weighs A Ton
The album is produced by Andrew Wyatt (known for his work with ROSALÍA and Charli XCX), with mixing by Dave Fridmann (Sleater-Kinney, MGMT). The arrangements span strings, woodwinds, layered vocal harmonies, acoustic guitar, and experimental sound design. The record will also include "Wings On Fire," which the band already debuted live earlier this year and which Banks describes as "the culmination of the album's rockier, noisier direction."
On the live front, Interpol will appear at London's All Points East x Outbreak festival on Sunday, August 23, 2026, on a bill headlined by Deftones and also featuring IDLES and Amyl & The Sniffers. After wrapping a 23-date North American tour, the band heads into a joint UK and European tour with Bloc Party later this year, including back-to-back nights at London's Olympia on Thursday, December 4 and Friday, December 5.
- 📅 Sunday, Aug 23, 2026 — All Points East x Outbreak, London (Deftones headline; IDLES, Amyl & The Sniffers also on the bill)
- 📅 Thu–Fri, Dec 4–5, 2026 — Olympia, London (co-headline tour with Bloc Party)
- 💿 This Mirror Weighs A Ton out Aug 28, 2026 via Partisan Records