The War On Drugs have released ‘Who’s That’, their first new single in five years. The track arrives as the follow-up to the US band’s fifth studio album, 2021’s ‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’, and their 2024 live record ‘Live Drugs Again’.
Written and produced by frontman Adam Granduciel at his Burbank studio compound, ‘Who’s That’ is a rousing, synth-heavy anthem that finds him in a reflective state. “Did I blow it?/ Did it just explode?” the musician contemplates in the lyrics. “There’s a lion hanging from my teeth/ I can taste it, but I can’t get close/ It’s only my depression, baby.”
Granduciel explained the song’s origins in a statement: “‘Who’s That’ was written in 10 minutes somewhere between first coffee and school drop-off.” He added: “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.”
The single is accompanied by a Max Flick-directed official video that follows Granduciel on a surreal late-night stroll around the streets of Burbank in Los Angeles County, California. The track features drums from Anthony LaMarca, bass from Dave Hartley, and a selection of Granduciel’s guitars and keyboards.
The War On Drugs are set to play a run of headline shows and festivals in the US this autumn, including stops at Austin City Limits in Texas and Sea.Hear.Now 2026 in New Jersey. Their scheduled dates begin September 18 at The Queen in Wilmington, Delaware, and continue through early October with performances in Asheville, Birmingham, Louisville, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas and two Austin City Limits appearances.
Over the summer, the group made appearances at numerous European events such as Mad Cool, NOS Alive and Rock Werchter. They also opened for Mumford & Sons at BST Hyde Park in London. Reviewing their Mad Cool slot, NME said that “The War on Drugs were made for blissed-out festival moments like this”.
Since releasing ‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’, Granduciel has kept busy as a producer. He helmed Sam Fender’s 2025 third album ‘People Watching’, which won last year’s Mercury Prize and earned Fender his third UK Number One record. Granduciel also produced The Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn’s solo album ‘Always Been’.
Last spring, The War On Drugs pulled out of supporting Fender on his UK tour due to “personal scheduling issues”. Fender had brought out Granduciel to perform with him during his set at Coachella 2025.
In a 2021 interview, Granduciel recalled first becoming aware of Fender: “I know him for sure! Our saxophone player knows them really well. I remember he said, ‘I’m playing on this kid Sam’s record – he’s a big fan of our band; he’s coming to the show’.” He added: “So I knew his name and then I would see him on the cover of some crazy British magazine. I’m like, ‘Oh my god – this guy is like a phenomenon’.”