Photo by Shawn Brackbill
Well, this will be a nice birthday treat for yours truly: On August 25th, our 2014 Band of the Year The War on Drugs will return with their fourth studio album, A Deeper Understanding. It serves as the follow-up to 2014’s Album of the Year, Lost in the Dream, as well as the band’s first release since signing with Atlantic Records.
Engineered by Shawn Everett (Alabama Shakes, Weezer), A Deeper Understanding is “a ‘band record’ in the noblest sense, featuring collaboration, coordination, and confidence at every turn,” according to a press release. In addition to mastermind Adam Granduciel, contributors included bassist Dave Hartley, keyboardist Robbie Bennett, drummer Charlie Hall, in addition to multi-instrumentalists Anthony LaMarca and Jon Natchez.
To drum up the hype, the band’s unlocked a new Springsteen-sounding lead single, “Holding On”. The track continues the heartland excellence of April’s Record Store Day epic, “Thinking of a Place”, which will also be on the record. Listen below.
If you’ve got the time, you might want to revisit Paula Mejia’s 2014 cover story on the band, which finds Mr. Granduciel palling about his Philadelphia home.
Cover Artwork:
A Deeper Understanding Tracklist:
01. Up All Night
02. Pain
03. Holding On
04. Strangest Thing
05. Knocked Down
06. Nothing To Find
07. Thinking of a Place
08. In Chains
09. Clean Living
10. You Don’t Have To Go
The War on Drugs 2017 Tour Dates:
09/18 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre
09/21 – Philadelphia, PA @ Dell Music Center
09/22 – New York, NY @ SummerStage in Central Park
09/23 – Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
09/25 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
09/26 – Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
09/28 – Dallas, TX @ The Bomb Factory
09/29 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall (Outside Lawn)
09/30 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
10/05 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
10/06 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre
10/09 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
10/10 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
10/11 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
10/13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
10/14 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
10/15 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
10/18 – St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre
10/19 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
10/20 – Columbus, OH @ Express Live!
10/21 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
10/22 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
11/02 – Amsterdam, NL @ AFAS Live
11/03 – Cologne, DE @ E-Werk
11/04 – Brussels, BE @ Forest National
11/06 – Paris, FR @ Bataclan
11/09 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowlands
11/10 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowlands
11/12 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo Manchester
11/14 – London, UK @ Alexandra Palace
11/17 – Zurich, CH @ X-tra
11/18 – Milan, IT @ Fabrique
11/20 – München, DE @ Muffathalle
11/21 – Hamburg, DE @ Große Freiheit 36
11/22 – Berlin, DE @ Tempodrom
11/24 – Oslo, NO @ Spektrum
11/25 – Copenhagen, DK @ Tap 1
11/27 – Stockholm, SE @ Annexet
