The War on Drugs Announces New Live Album

More live drugs!

The War on Drugs has announced a second live album, titled “Live Drugs Again,” out Sept. 13 via Super High Quality Records.

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The new record follows the 2020 live album “Live Drugs” and will include songs from the band’s 2021 studio album, “I Don’t Live Here Anymore,” among fan favorites from 2017’s “A Deeper Understanding,” 2014’s “Lost in the Dream” and 2011’s “Slave Ambient.”

War on Drugs bandleader Adam Granduciel said in a statement, “‘Live Drugs Again’ chronicles the evolution of these songs from the studio to stages all over the world, documenting our continued growth as a live band. This series ensures that these versions, and some of our favorite moments on stage, will live on.”

Granduciel, who composes a bulk of the recorded music himself, emphasized how vital the live band members are in bringing the songs to a new level. “Part of ‘Live Drugs’ was about cementing that moment in time — what the six of us had built since putting a live band together,” he said. On “Live Drugs Again,” he’s joined by the same bandmates — David Hartley (bass), Robbie Bennett (keys), Charlie Hall (drums), Jon Natchez (sax) and Anthony LaMarca (guitar) — as well as the group’s newest member, Eliza Hardy Jones, on keyboards and backing vocals.

“I knew these songs were lending themselves to the live environment in a way that our other material hadn’t,” Granduciel said of “I Don’t Live Here Anymore,” whose songs “Harmonia’s Dream,” “Old Skin,” “I Don’t Wanna Wait” and the title track appear on “Live Drugs Again.”

The War on Drugs kick off a co-headlining tour with the National, with Lucius supporting, on Sept. 12.

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