The Afghan Whigs returned today with new music for the first time in four years, dropping a brisk single that precedes a coast-to-coast run marking the band’s 40th anniversary. The song arrives as the group prepares a new studio album slated for release later this year, and it gives fans a preview of what the upcoming tour may showcase live.
The track, titled “House of I”, was recorded last summer in New Orleans and produced and mixed by frontman Greg Dulli alongside Christopher Thorn. Band members and the press materials describe the cut as one of the more energetic numbers in the Whigs’ recent catalog — a deliberate move toward a punchier, faster tempo after the band shared cover recordings earlier this year.
Dulli said he laid down the song during a New Orleans session and that the group intentionally chased a more driving, uptempo feel. The single is the first original material since 2022’s era and is being framed as an early look at the band’s next record, a follow-up to 2022’s How Do You Burn?.
Beyond the new material itself, the timing matters: the release coincides with the announcement of a nationwide tour that starts next month. For a band marking four decades together, these shows will serve both as a celebration and a testing ground for fresh songs ahead of the full album release.
Tour details focus on major markets from the Northeast through the West Coast, and every listed date will feature support from Mercury Rev. Below are the announced dates and venues:
- Apr 25 — Woodstock, NY — Bearsville Theater
- Apr 27 — Boston, MA — Royale
- Apr 28 — Washington, DC — 9:30 Club
- Apr 30 — New York, NY — Webster Hall
- May 1 — Philadelphia, PA — Union Transfer
- May 2 — Pittsburgh, PA — Mr. Smalls Theater
- May 4 — Buffalo, NY — Town Ballroom
- May 5 — Cleveland, OH — House of Blues
- May 6 — Cincinnati, OH — Bogart’s
- May 8 — Milwaukee, WI — Turner Hall Ballroom
- May 9 — Chicago, IL — Metro
- May 10 — Minneapolis, MN — Varsity Theater
- May 12 — Denver, CO — Summit Music Hall
- May 15 — Portland, OR — Aladdin Theatre
- May 16 — Vancouver, BC — Commodore Ballroom
- May 17 — Seattle, WA — The Showbox
- May 19 — San Francisco, CA — The Fillmore
- May 20 — Los Angeles, CA — The Bellwether
- May 22 — Santa Ana, CA — The Observatory
- May 23 — San Diego, CA — The Observatory North Park
- May 24 — Pioneertown, CA — Pappy & Harriet’s
All dates support: Mercury Rev.
For listeners, the new single provides a quick indication of where the Whigs are headed sonically: tighter rhythms, more forward-facing guitar work and Dulli’s characteristic vocal grit, but in a leaner, more urgent arrangement than some recent material. For concertgoers, the tour offers the first chance to hear those songs in a live setting before the full album arrives.
Expect more details on the upcoming record in the coming months as the band ramps up promotion around the tour and the new release. In the meantime, the single is available through major streaming platforms and will likely be a staple of the setlists when the Whigs hit the road next month.
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