The War on Drugs breaks their silence with new single Who's That

The War on Drugs has broken their silence. With "Who's That," the Philadelphia band releases their first new studio material since 2022, accompanied by a music video directed by Max Flick. The video follows frontman Adam Granduciel on a surreal late night walk through the streets of Burbank, the Los Angeles County city where he also has his studio space.

The track was written and produced by Granduciel himself, reportedly in a remarkably short amount of time. "Who's That was written in 10 minutes somewhere between first coffee and school drop off," Granduciel said in a statement. "It's a song about trying to love yourself despite things we can't always control, like the anxiety, depression and self doubt that may stand in the way of living the life we truly desire." Musically, the song builds from a driving rock pulse and expands into a dreamy, synth soaked soundscape that makes full use of its five minutes. Granduciel layers electric guitars, a Mellotron and various vintage synthesizers one on top of another, while drummer Anthony LaMarca and bassist Dave Hartley lay down the foundation. Bandmates Robbie Bennett, Jon Natchez and Eliza Hardy Jones also appear, alongside additional contributions from Alex Fischel of Spoon and Lily Honigberg.

Thematically, "Who's That" revolves around emotional vulnerability. In his distinctive, Bob Dylan esque vocal style, Granduciel asks questions like "Did I blow it?" and "Where do I belong?", while the refrain "It's only my depression, baby" captures the heart of the song. It is a track about the inner struggle with anxiety, doubt and depression, but also about the will to love yourself in spite of all that.

The release comes at a moment when more is on the way. Earlier this year, Granduciel told Guitar.com in an interview that the band was "almost done making a record," describing the upcoming work as "basically fully homemade," a deliberate return to the home studio approach of his early recordings. "Who's That" therefore serves as a preview of what could well be an entirely new studio album, the follow up to 2021's "I Don't Live Here Anymore." In the meantime, the band released the live album "Live Drugs Again" in 2024. Granduciel was also closely involved in "People Watching," the third solo album by British artist Sam Fender, released in 2025, which won the Mercury Prize and gave Fender his third number one in the United Kingdom. Granduciel co produced the album and played on it as well. He also produced "Always Been," the solo album by Craig Finn, frontman of The Hold Steady.

The band played several major European festivals this summer, including Mad Cool, NOS Alive and Rock Werchter, and opened for Mumford and Sons during BST Hyde Park in London. This fall brings a run of American shows and festival appearances, kicking off on September 18 in Wilmington, Delaware. Highlights include Sea.Hear.Now in Asbury Park, Bourbon and Beyond in Louisville, and two weekends at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Texas. No European dates have been announced for Dutch fans as yet, but given the band's busy festival presence this year, a return to the continent once the new album drops is far from out of the question.