The War on Drugs Release First New Song in Four Years with Moody Whos That Video

After a four‑year silence, Philadelphia‑based indie rockers The War on Drugs returned on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, with a new single that feels both familiar and unsettling.

The track, titled “Who’s That,” was dropped alongside a midnight‑premiered music video that quickly spread through streaming platforms. The song marks the band’s first fresh material since the deluxe edition of 2021’s I Don’t Live Here Anymore and is positioned as the lead single for an upcoming, still‑untitled album.

Granduciel recorded the song in a warehouse owned by the frontman in Burbank, California. In the accompanying video statement, he revealed that the lyric‑dense piece was written in roughly ten minutes, between his first coffee of the day and dropping his son off at school. He described the lyricism as an exploration of self‑love amid anxiety, depression, and self‑doubt.

The band has been tight‑lipped about the next album. At a benefit show in 2025, Granduciel told PhillyVoice that he was uncertain about the timing of a new album cycle, noting that the group has been “teasing all sorts of new explorations” in recent live performances.

The War on Drugs’ history with major labels began in 2015 when they signed a two‑album deal with Atlantic Records following the success of their 2014 breakthrough Lost in the Dream. Atlantic released A Deeper Understanding in 2017, which earned the group a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album. I Don’t Live Here Anymore was issued in 2021 and was the last studio album released through Atlantic. In 2022, the band issued a second live album, Live Drugs Again, on their own imprint, Super High Quality Records.

The new video, directed by Max Flick, follows Granduciel walking through a dimly lit, abandoned factory in Burbank, intercut with close‑up shots of his guitar work. The visual style—muted colors, slow pacing—mirrors the song’s introspective tone and lyrical themes of inner struggle.

The War on Drugs will keep performing in the coming weeks. They are scheduled to play at the Queen in Wilmington, Delaware, on September 18, followed by a performance at the See.Hear.Now Festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey, on September 19. No tour dates beyond these shows have been announced.

Industry observers note that the band’s return after a four‑year hiatus is significant, following a period of relative silence after the 2022 deluxe edition. The release of a new single and accompanying video signals a potential shift in the band’s creative direction, though concrete details about the forthcoming album remain undisclosed.

As of now, The War on Drugs have not provided an official release date for the new album, nor have they confirmed additional singles. The band’s next public statement is expected after the upcoming performances in Delaware and New Jersey.

In summary, The War on Drugs have re‑entered the public eye with the single “Who’s That” and its accompanying video, offering a glimpse of their evolving sound and hinting at a forthcoming album. Industry watchers will monitor the band’s upcoming shows and any subsequent announcements for further information.