DIIV are back with new single “Return of Youth,” a song that was recorded around the time of last year’s Frog in Boiling Water. While eerie and haunted, musically, the song was written as a hopeful look at the future, specifically in regards to frontman Cole Smith’s first son who had yet to be born. “I imagined seeing myself through the eyes of my child, a rebirth of sorts, laced with fear and insecurity, discovering beauty and serenity together in the simplest places.”
Between recording “Return of Youth” and now, Cole and his family “lost our home and everything we owned to the wildfires in altadena, ca. we had been preparing for the birth of our second son. we were living in the beautiful world at home that i had imagined in this song, and at once that world was gone.”
Cole adds, “when we re-approached this song to finally release it, i couldn’t help but hear the song differently in the aftermath. what makes a home? can you ever escape the outside world? is hope just a delusion? is anyone actually prepared to be a parent? how CAN you bring a child into this world?” The video for “Return of Youth” was shot in the aftermath of the LA wildfires in Altadena. “Make of the song and the video whatever you want, it’s just a snapshot, albeit a more personal one this time,” Cole adds. Watch the video below.
DIIV begin a three-night run at LA’s Teragram Ballroom on Saturday, May 24. They’ll also be on tour in the UK and Europe this summer and all dates are listed below.
diiv has a new song out today, “return of youth”. sorry for the long statement
‘frog’ was an album that focused our gaze outward at the world around us. it captured a series of snapshots of our condition, in confusion and disgust and awe.
the writing period for this album was part of a beautiful time in my life, as we prepared and waited for our first child to be born. that beauty was cut with a profound existential dilemma: how can we bring a child into this world?
the common thread running through the fragmented world of the album was hope. we’ve talked about it a bit. real hope, false hope, something to give your life meaning. its an individual journey. i found it in parenthood, but you can find it anywhere you want.
“return of youth” was written before our son was born, a projection, zooming in until the larger existential dilemmas were out of frame. where “fender on the freeway” found peace in the patterns of a gigantic macro, this one finds it in a mundane and simple micro. i imagined seeing myself through the eyes of my child, a rebirth of sorts, laced with fear and insecurity, discovering beauty and serenity together in the simplest places.
at the very beginning of the year my family and i lost our home and everything we owned to the wildfires in altadena, ca. we had been preparing for the birth of our second son. we were living in the beautiful world at home that i had imagined in this song, and at once that world was gone.
when we re-approached this song to finally release it, i couldn’t help but hear the song differently in the aftermath. what makes a home? can you ever escape the outside world? is hope just a delusion? is anyone actually prepared to be a parent? how CAN you bring a child into this world?
i found again the big questions were irrelevant. you just keep on living i guess. life happens on life’s terms.
anyway, make of the song and the video whatever you want, it’s just a snapshot, albeit a more personal one this time.
enjoy.
Cole
DIIV – 2025 TOUR DATES
05/24/2025 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Theater
05/25/2025 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Theater
05/26/2025 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Theater
06/06/2025 – Melbourne, Aus – Northcote Theater
06/07/2025 – Melbourne, Aus – Day Tripper Festival
06/12/2025 – Hobart, Aus – Odeon Theater (Dark Mofo)
06/13/2025 – Sydney, Aus – Carriageworks (Vivid Festival)
06/14/2025 – Brisbane, Aus – Princess Theater
8/8/2025 – Lokerse Feesten – Lokeren (B) FESTIVAL
8/10/2025 – Palp Festival / Rocklette – Col du Lein – Val de Bagnes (CH)
8/11/2025 – KIFF – Aarau (CH)
8/14/2025 – Motocultor – Carhaix (F)
8/15/2025 – Dabadaba – Donosti (ES)
8/16/2025 – Paredes de Coura festival – Paredes de Coura (PT)
8/19/2025 – Ama Music festival – Romano d’Ezzelino/VI (I)
8/21/2025 – SEI festival – Corigliano D’Otranto Castle/Lecce (I)
8/23/2025 – Canela Party – Malaga (ES)
8/26/2025 – Blind – Istanbul (TR)
8/27/2025 – Blind – Istanbul (TR)
8/30/2025 – End of the Road Festival – UK
8/31/2025 – Project House – Leeds (UK)
9/1/2025 – Vicar Street/Button Factory – Dublin
9/3/2025 – Outernet – London, UK
9/5/2025 – Zero for Three – Maastricht (NL)
9/6/2025 – Misty Fields – Asten-Heusden (NL)
9/7/2025 – Paard – Den Haag (NL)
9/8/2025 – Splendid – LIlle