Written by Greg Dulli’s long-running rock group the Afghan Whigs are back with their first LP in four years. In addition to plotting a fall tour, the band has announced a new album, Soft Control, which arrives August 21 via Royal Cream/BMG. Listen to the lead single “Jungle Roux” below.
Soft Control is the Afghan Whigs’ 10th studio album overall, following How Do You Burn?. It was recorded across multiple sessions in four different locations: Fireside Sound in Joshua Tree, Marigny Studios in New Orleans, Gold Diggers Sound in East Hollywood, and Sycamore in Cincinnati. All told, the Afghan Whigs recorded 22 songs for the record before winnowing the tracklist down to 10 – including “House of I” from March.
The band took the album’s title from a David Bowie quote, in which the late musician described aging as a gradual process during which you become the person you were meant to be. Dulli explains how that sentiment gifted him additional confidence, writing: “I was an angry young man, and it fueled my art, ambition, and my drive. I wouldn’t change anything because I can’t. But as I got into photography and other art forms, I realized that I’m not in competition with anyone – including myself. Now, I know what I’m doing and there’s a quiet confidence that comes with being able to back it up.”
The Afghan Whigs will head to Europe and North America for their tour this fall. They’re joined on the first leg by British singer-songwriter Ed Harcourt, while the Minneapolis-based psych-rock band Night Moves tags along for the North American leg. Those shows last from mid-September on through to late November. Check out their full list of tour dates after the jump.
Read about the Afghan Whigs’ 1992 record Congregation in The 25 Best Grunge Albums of the ’90s.
Soft Control:
01 Jungle Roux
02 House of I
03 Duvateen
04 My Lover
05 The Deepest Part of the Darkest Shadow
06 Mariah Luster
07 Memphis, Texas
08 77
09 Loose Talk
10 A Simulation
The Afghan Whigs:
07-10 Brugge, Belgium – Cactus Festival #
09-19 Leeds, England – Stylus #
09-20 Nottingham, England – The Palais #
09-22 Glasgow, Scotland – SWG3 Galvanizers #
09-23 Manchester, England – O2 Ritz #
09-24 London, England – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire #
09-26 Brighton, England – Chalk #
09-27 Paris, France – Trabendo #
09-28 Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso #
09-30 Cologne, Germany – Luxor #
10-01 Liege, Belgium – OM #
10-03 Eindhoven, Netherlands – Come as You Are 2026 #
10-04 Antwerp, Belgium – De Roma #
10-05 Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique #
11-04 Orlando, FL – Beacham Theater @
11-05 Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse @
11-07 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle @
11-08 Baltimore, MD – BaltimoreSoundStage @
11-10 Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw @
11-11 Toronto, Ontario – The Concert Hall @
11-13 Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue @
11-14 Chicago, IL – The Metro @
11-15 St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall @
11-19 New Orleans, LA – House of Blues @
11-20 Dallas, TX – Granada Theater @
11-21 Austin, TX – Scoot Inn @
# with Ed Harcourt
@ with Night Moves
