The War on Drugs release new single after four-year hiatus
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The War on Drugs have released "Who's That," their first new studio recording since 2022, alongside a Max Flick-directed music video that follows frontman Adam Granduciel on a nocturnal walk through Burbank, California. Written and produced by Granduciel at his Southern California studio, the track is a rare moment of new material during an extended gap between full-length releases, and it comes with an explicitly personal lyrical focus that offers insight into the singer's mental health struggles behind the band's creative process.
The five-minute song builds from a steady rock pulse into an expansive, dreamy close, featuring Anthony LaMarca on drums and Dave Hartley on bass alongside Granduciel's guitars and keyboards. Lyrically it grapples with depression and self-doubt, centring on the refrain "It's only my depression, baby," with Granduciel saying it was written in ten minutes about "trying to love yourself despite things we can't always control." The release comes as the band works on a still-unannounced, "basically fully homemade" follow-up to 2021's I Don't Live Here Anymore, having put out the live album Live Drugs Again in 2024; they also begin a US tour on 18 September in Wilmington, Delaware, with stops including Sea.Hear.Now, Bourbon & Beyond and two Austin City Limits weekends.
- The War on Drugs release "Who's That," their first new song since 2022
- Track explores Adam Granduciel's struggles with depression and self-doubt
- Band starts US tour 18 September ahead of a new album
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The War on Drugs are an American rock band led by singer, guitarist and producer Adam Granduciel, known for expansive, atmospheric songs that blend classic rock and roll influences with modern production. Formed in Philadelphia in the mid-2000s, the band has built a strong following over several acclaimed albums, most recently 2021's I Don't Live Here Anymore, and has become known for taking long gaps between studio releases as Granduciel works meticulously on new material.
The band's other core members include drummer Anthony LaMarca and bassist Dave Hartley, who have played alongside Granduciel for years and continue to shape the group's sound on record and on tour. In between full albums, they have kept fans engaged with releases such as the 2024 live album Live Drugs Again, while a proper studio follow-up to their last record has remained unannounced and largely made independently.
This context matters because it explains why any new original song from the band is a notable event, marking a gap since their last studio recording in 2022. It also sets up why a return to new music, paired with an upcoming US tour, is being closely watched by longtime listeners as a possible signal of more to come.
Coverage
- NME — The War On Drugs return with rousing ‘Who’s That’ – their first new single in five years
- Consequence — The War on Drugs Return with “Who’s That,” First New Studio Recording in Four Years: Stream