{"id":904491,"date":"2026-05-08T08:17:48","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T13:17:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/08\/lose-your-self-an-interview-with-enter-shikaris-rou-reynolds\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T08:17:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T13:17:48","slug":"lose-your-self-an-interview-with-enter-shikaris-rou-reynolds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/08\/lose-your-self-an-interview-with-enter-shikaris-rou-reynolds\/","title":{"rendered":"Lose Your Self: An Interview With Enter Shikari\u2019s Rou Reynolds"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Music <\/p>\n<div>\n<p>For over 20 years now, rock-rave outfit <strong>Enter Shikari<\/strong> have continued to dazzle us with their fierce energy and unique, genre-bending sound. Yet, even after all this time, they\u2019ve found a way to surprise us all once again. Their <strong><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clashmusic.com\/reviews\/enter-shikari-lose-your-self\/\">eighth studio album \u2018Lose Your Self\u2019<\/a><\/span><\/strong> has today arrived completely unannounced, ready to blow the minds of their fanbase while encouraging them to abandon their phones, ditch their egos, connect with one another and get back to nature.<\/p>\n<p>Explaining how this surprise new record came together, we caught up with the band\u2019s frontman, songwriter and producer, <strong>Rou Reynolds<\/strong>\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"LOSE YOUR SELF\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lziYJvaw7SU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cYou\u2019re suspended in a light beam \u2013 to transcend it, you\u2019ve got to lose your self.\u201d <\/em>These are the words spoken by Rou on the album\u2019s urgent opening title track, capturing the central theme of the new record, which is the idea that humanity is being sucked into a powerful lie of disconnection from the natural world by a warped, man-made digital realm. It\u2019s a message inspired by a quote from American Astronomer Carl Sagan \u2013 <em>\u201ca mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam\u201d<\/em> \u2013 but with Shikari putting their own dystopian spin on it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think with this album, we\u2019re really addressing the listener as an individual\u201d Rou explains. \u201cIt\u2019s another criticism of modern individualism. We\u2019ve gone so far in the direction of division, separation and atomisation, that\u2019s it\u2019s become so painstakingly clear that is not a natural way to structure a human society and expect that it\u2019s going to bring good things. Lose yourself \u2013 obviously it\u2019s a phrase that normally just means let your hair down and go crazy. Whereas if you split it into three words, it\u2019s lose your sense of self, lose your ego\u2026 lose that grip that society has over our minds.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<figure><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clashmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Enter-Shikari-Lose-Your-Self-Album-Artwork.jpg\" alt  ><\/figure>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<p>To reaffirm this message, Rou went to great lengths for the album artwork. Wanting to represent the helplessness in a literal sense, he volunteered to be hung upside down in the Lincolnshire countryside last December. There, he was left flailing from a crane while his team got the perfect shot of him suspended in the illuminated woodland. It turns out this artwork is also a good metaphor for the album\u2019s creation process, which Rou admits left him feeling a bit overwhelmed at times.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been quite a long and often arduous process \u2013 we\u2019ve probably been working on it (the album) for more than two years\u201d he candidly reveals. \u201cWe never did the romantic thing of going away to a cottage for a few months, recording the bulk of the album and then just applying finishing touches. It was this disjointed affair where we recorded it on tour, in all sorts of different studios and at our houses. But once things start coming together, it all sort of falls into place. I\u2019m just glad we didn\u2019t rush it or abandon things, we just stuck at it\u2026 and we\u2019d never release anything that we weren\u2019t certain was the best thing we\u2019ve ever released.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Dead In The Water\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RCi1ZPrYMDk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<p>One big pain point for Rou in particular during the making of this record was his role as sole producer, with \u2018Lose Your Self\u2019 being the third album in a row where he alone has taken the helm. While it means he has full creative control on bringing the band\u2019s vision to life, the process often takes a severe toll on his mental and physical wellbeing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve sort of realised through my own personal experience that my perfectionism is a clinical problem\u201d he says honestly. \u201cI always thought I could spot it and shake it off, but the last month of finishing this record was just stupid. I was working all day, and then our mixing engineer is in New Zealand, so he was coming online at about midnight and I\u2019d then do three hours or so with him. Then our mastering engineer was in Nashville\u2026 so I was basically just not sleeping for a month. It gave me a lot of burnout, to the point that I literally haven\u2019t touched the record since we finished it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Looking for a way to leave the exhausting creative process behind and get excited again about sharing the project with their devoted legion of fans, the band started coming up with different plans and ideas for the release. Eventually they landed on the idea to present their music in a way they had never done before and that was to surprise release the record \u2013 that meant no singles, no announcement, no teasers, no prior fanfare of any kind. Buoyed by the success of their <strong><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.officialcharts.com\/albums\/enter-shikari-a-kiss-for-the-whole-world\/\">last record \u2018A Kiss For The Whole World\u2019 reaching No.1 on the UK Album Chart<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, and therefore freeing them of any big commercial pressures, the band decided to take the plunge.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were set on the idea that we wanted to do something different for us, something a bit novel\u201d Rou explains on the decision. \u201cThis album is such a united whole and one entity, it just makes sense to release it in this way. Usually there\u2019s always been a few singles, a lead up where you drip feed information about an album over six months. Then when it finally comes out \u2013 if people are anything like me \u2013 you skip the singles because you\u2019ve already heard them. It\u2019s rare the album is ever listened to as we envisaged. So, it was like, well, what\u2019s best for the art? This felt like the most natural and exciting thing to do. And because I\u2019ve been so distanced from it for three months or so now, it feels just as thrilling for me as it will be for the audience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"771\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clashmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Enter-Shikari-LYS-press-shot-2-credit-Kate-Hook-771x1024.jpg\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clashmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Enter-Shikari-LYS-press-shot-2-credit-Kate-Hook-771x1024.jpg 771w, https:\/\/www.clashmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Enter-Shikari-LYS-press-shot-2-credit-Kate-Hook-226x300.jpg 226w, https:\/\/www.clashmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Enter-Shikari-LYS-press-shot-2-credit-Kate-Hook-768x1021.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.clashmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Enter-Shikari-LYS-press-shot-2-credit-Kate-Hook.jpg 903w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" previous-src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\"><\/figure>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Lose Your Self\u2019 has clearly been a labour of love for Enter Shikari, but the often frustrating and difficult road during the making of this project already feels worth it given the end result. Not only is the album one of their most accomplished and fully realised to date, but the surprise release means their fanbase will come together as a community, to share in the joy of discovering its existence and listening to it as one. Given the album\u2019s central subject matter, this feels perfectly fitting.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re self-interested \u2013 we\u2019re disconnected from each other, and we\u2019re disconnected from the natural world. I think that is the core philosophical problem with modern society\u201d Rou says passionately, expanding on the album\u2019s key take away message. \u201cI think normally we\u2019ve done these broad strokes, speaking to the globe \u2013 but here, I think we\u2019re trying to get through to the person. Remind them to shed that armour that says you should be this tough, solo warrior in life and that actually, the natural thing for our species is to value human connection more than anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Spaceship Earth (I. Avec Abandon)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dckhcdD916U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<p><em>\u2018Lose Your Self\u2019 by Enter Shikari is out now and you can catch the band on their UK arena tour later this year.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Words: <strong>Karl Blakesley<\/strong><br \/>Photography: <strong>Kate Hook<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clashmusic.com\/features\/lose-your-self-an-interview-with-enter-shikaris-rou-reynolds\/\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Music For over 20 years now, rock-rave outfit Enter Shikari have continued to dazzle us with their fierce energy and unique, genre-bending sound. Yet, even after all this time, they\u2019ve found a way to surprise us all once again. Their eighth studio album \u2018Lose Your Self\u2019 has today arrived completely unannounced, ready to blow the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":904492,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[131522],"class_list":{"0":"post-904491","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business-news","8":"tag-podcast-music"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/904491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=904491"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/904491\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/904492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=904491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=904491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=904491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}