The War on Drugs have broken a long stretch without a new studio release with “Who’s That,” a new single issued September 9.
Written and produced by bandleader Adam Granduciel at his Burbank studio, the track had been heard in the band’s live shows before receiving its studio release. It arrives with a video directed by Max Flick.
Granduciel has described the song as emerging quickly during an ordinary morning, but the subject matter is more complicated: trying to maintain self-acceptance in the face of anxiety, depression and self-doubt.
A familiar scale with an inward focus
The recording uses the elements that have made the band immediately recognizable—layered guitars, keyboards, a steady rhythm section and a gradual sense of expansion—while keeping the emotional center personal.
Pitchfork called it the group’s first new song in four years, while SPIN described it as the first fresh studio recording since 2022. The band has additional live dates scheduled through the fall, including festival appearances.
Whether “Who’s That” is a standalone single or the beginning of a larger project has not been confirmed. Either way, the release gives listeners the clearest indication in years of where the band’s studio work may be headed.
Amplifier Take: The War on Drugs have always been strongest when enormous sound meets private uncertainty. “Who’s That” returns to that contrast without trying to reinvent what the band already does exceptionally well.