The War On Drugs announce "Live Drugs Again" (Encore Edition) including two bonus tracks || Share visualiser for live version of "Nothing To Find"
The War On Drugs release Live Drugs Again (Encore Edition) today via Transgressive / Canvasback. The Encore Edition expands on Live Drugs Again, released earlier this year via Super High Quality Records, with two new live tracks: “Nothing to Find” and “Occasional Rain”. Watch the visualiser for “Nothing To Find” HERE.
Live Drugs Again (Encore Edition) is out on CD on 13th December and on cassette on 10th January. The standard Live Drugs Again vinyl is also out 10th January.
Acclaim for Live Drugs Again:
“No modern-day band possesses the firepower of The War On Drugs blazing away on stage.” Uncut – 8/10
“Bigger and brighter than its predecessor... Live, the band’s urgency and spaciousness transform their fondness for cavernous arena rhythms from clever re-appropriations into something that teases transcendence.” MOJO – 4 stars ****
“An epic live collection... an excellent encapsulation of the group’s musical strengths... the emotional catharsis is deeply satisfying.” Record Collector – 4 stars ****
“Adam Granduciel’s gang ensure it’s worth the price of admission with a show of passion and panoramic scale... It’s hard to argue with the hugeness when it hits.” Classic Rock
Recorded on tour between February 2022 through December 2023 in America, the UK, Europe and Australia, Live Drugs Again follows 2020’s Live Drugs and represents The War On Drugs at their raw and righteous best. Bandleader Adam Granduciel comments, “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 favourite moments on stage, will live on.”
Since its inception nearly 20 years as Granduciel’s solo project, The War On Drugs have transformed in many directions. And yet, they have never sounded quite this euphoric. While their studio albums are often showcases for Granduciel’s meticulous worldbuilding, their live albums put the spotlight on the musicians who bring the songs to life on stage. “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 explains. On Live Drugs Again, Granduciel is backed by those 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 recruit, Eliza Hardy Jones, on keyboards and backing vocals.
Live Drugs Again expertly captures the kinetic spontaneity of the band’s live show, while Granduciel crafts the album as its own sturdy addition to the catalogue: an experience best taken in full, expertly paced and textured. Working with engineer Austin Asvanonda, he ensures that each song brings something new to the story, from rarities like “Slow Ghost,” a tender B-side from I Don’t Live Here Anymore, to confident, extended versions of Live Drugs staples “Under the Pressure” and “Pain.” “A lot of lives changed in four years,” Granduciel says of the group’s evolution since Live Drugs. “We've been doing this for a long time—we’re older, we have families. So when we get on the road, the only two hours that matter are when we’re on stage, playing these songs for people. I try to live in that moment pretty intensely.” Live Drugs Again is a testament to this devotion: a portrait of a band on a runner’s high, in collaboration with an audience who’s been following every step of the way.
Live Drugs Again artwork and tracklist:
1. Harmonia’s Dream (Live…Again)
2. Burning (Live…Again)
3. Old Skin (Live…Again)
4. Come To The City (Live…Again)
5. I Don’t Wanna Wait (Live…Again)
6. Pain (Live…Again)
7. Nothing to Find (Live…Again)
8. Slow Ghost (Live…Again)
9. In Chains (Live…Again)
10. Living Proof (Live…Again)
11. Under the Pressure (Live…Again)
12. I Don’t Live Here Anymore (Live…Again)
13. Occasional Rain (Live…Again)
The War On Drugs Online
