“It was OK in a sense, because the three of us that are left are the core three, musically speaking, so we knew the music wasn’t under any sort of threat … it’s just sad. You spend every single day with these people and Walter is my best friend. I went to school with him. I used to say it was my absolute worst nightmare if he decided to leave the band, then he said, ‘I’m leaving’.”

In 2011, just before the band headed to Australia to record demos, they lived and worked together like a family – but circumstances have changed with maturity.

“It’s important to allow yourself more space, certainly the older you get and the longer you do this,” says Smith. “I’ve realised it’s important to not be around people all the time, and post pandemic I’m finding that fairly exhausting. I love my bandmates to bits, they’re like my brothers, but my god, can they be annoying … the family thing is still true though, we’re getting closer and closer, really.”

That closeness has translated into joyful, triumphantly hopeful music. The upbeat party vibe is also thanks to the pop-rock veteran producers the band worked with, including Dan Carey (Tame Impala, Fontaines D.C.) and John Hill (Florence + the Machine).

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There is a sense of having moved on from Foals’ stage show antics, replete with Philippakis’ proclivity for diving into crowds, climbing onto speakers and getting into brawls with security.

At Glastonbury last weekend, the lead singer promised the crowd a “f---ing mad one”. But their music reflects the glow after the madness: as the track Looking High suggests, “I’ve already skipped the town/ I’ve packed my bags/ I’ve found new ground”.

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