Philadelphia, PA · heartland rock · indie

The War on Drugs

3 upcoming festivals

Motorik heartland rock — Springsteen refracted through a synth haze, transcendent live, 'Under the Pressure' as the long exhale.

The War on Drugs began in Philadelphia in 2005, founded by Adam Granduciel with Kurt Vile, who left after the first album to concentrate on his solo work. Granduciel has remained the constant, writing and producing the records and leading a settled touring band.

The sound draws on classic American rock — Dylan, Springsteen, Tom Petty — but runs it through repetitive krautrock rhythms, layers of synthesizer and heavily processed guitar, giving the songs a hazy, drifting quality. Lost in the Dream, released in 2014, broadened their audience considerably, and A Deeper Understanding followed in 2017. Live, the material tends to stretch out, with extended instrumental passages and long guitar figures built over steady, unhurried grooves.

heartland rockindie