tUnE-yArDs appeared on Monday night’s A Late Show with Stephen Colbert, performing remotely as all musical guests do these days. But the art-pop group wasn’t beaming in from their bedroom, home studio, or even a small venue; instead, they performed from what looked like the set of a brightly colored ’70s kids’ show.
Dressed in primary colors and standing on a trio of blue, red, and yellow circular rugs, the band performed “hold yourself.” from their upcoming album, sketchy. Singer Merrill Garbus started out behind the others, perched atop a mound of massive bean bag chairs. As the song — which is about “feeling really betrayed by my parents’ generation” — progressed, Garbus made her clumsy way out of the bags. Like a child learning to stand on their own, she finally rose to her unsteady feet for the final bridge and chorus.
Watch the replay of tUnE-yArDs’ performance — which ends with Colbert looking utterly amused and confounded at what he just saw — below.
sketchy., tUnE-yArDs’ follow-up to 2018’s i can feel you creep into my private life, is due out March 26th via 4AD. Pre-orders are going on now.