With a swirl of gritty vocals lightened by twangy, ambient guitar layers, dancey drum beats and sporadic interjections of organ and harmonica, the War on Drugs resides confidently in the gray area of Americana and indie rock with a hint of '80s flair.
The band formed in 2003 after frontman Adam Granduciel hooked up with mad scientist of folk, Kurt Vile. Granduciel and Vile aroused the indie rock world when they released the band’s first album Wagonwheel Blues in 2008.
Since then, the band has undergone several lineup changes. Today, Granduciel acts as songwriter, guitarist and persistent perfectionist, admitting that he is an incessant tweaker when it comes to writing and recording. Additions to the lineup include bassist David Hartley and drummer Mike Zanghi, while Vile is no longer an active member of the group.
The band's second album Future Weather was released in October 2010 with what is said to be a more mature sound, yet still grainy and graceful.
All photos by Sara Finke.
