Risk to Exist
Risk to Exist is the sixth studio album by British indie rock band Maxïmo Park. It was released on 21 April 2017 on their Daylighting label and Cooking Vinyl. The album was written mainly in the UK and recorded in autumn 2016 at The Loft, Wilco’s studio in Chicago, and produced by Tom Schick. It was recorded live, and Mimi Parker from Low provides backing vocals on several tracks.
The lead single, also titled “Risk to Exist,” first aired on 19 January 2017 on BBC 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq show. The album was released in several formats: deluxe CD, digital, transparent vinyl, and a cassette.
Two videos were released for the title track. One is a performance video directed by Steve Gullick; the other uses footage from Sky News and the MOAS charity about the European migrant crisis, edited by Caviar. Profits from digital sales of the single were donated to charity.
Lyrically, the album reflects on the dire state of world affairs in 2016 and crumbling political systems, with vocalist Paul Smith shifting focus toward more political themes. Some release bundles included a zine called Inspiration Information, featuring essays by Smith about the lyrics and the impact of UK austerity on disabled people, plus content like an Owen Jones extract, photos by guitarist Duncan Lloyd, and notes from drummer Tom English about moving toward a disco-influenced rhythm.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 06:04 (CET).