The Afghan Whigs releases new Single: 'My Lover'

 The Afghan Whigs announce the release of new single “My Lover” a new song that neatly distills the emotional ambivalence of a deceitful relationship sustained by lust but doomed to fail.

listen HERE

watch the visualizer HERE

Their eagerly anticipated new album, Soft Control, is coming August 21, 2026, via Royal Cream/BMG – pre-order and pre-save HERE. Vinyl fans will be excited to learn there will be an additional Pink Wave vinyl variation available after the previous versions sold out. Pre-order here.

The Afghan Whigs are also set to tour the UK & Europe in September/October and North America this fall. Joining the band on the road are two of Greg Dulli’s favorite artists.

In North America: Night Moves. The country-soul-psych-rock band, from Minneapolis released their fourth and most recent album Double Life via Domino Records last summer. Continuing their AM Gold twilight zone trajectory, Night Moves put on a phenomenal live show that’s not to be missed.

In the UK/EU: Ed Harcourt. One of Britain’s most cherished and inventive music creators Harcourt made his debut with the Mercury Prize-nominated Here Be Monsters (2001). He has built a career defined by raw emotion, masterful songwriting, and dynamic live performances. His latest release is last year’s Orphic.

LIVE

• Oct 1 Thu - Liege, BE – OM
• Oct 4 Sun - Antwerp, BE - De Roma (last tickets!)
• Oct 5 Mon - Brussels, BE - Ancienne Belgique

Soft Control was recorded at Fireside Sound in Joshua Tree, Marigny Studios in New Orleans, Gold Diggers Sound in East Hollywood, and Sycamore in Cincinnati. The band recorded 22 songs for the record, discarding several favorites because they didn’t seamlessly fit the taut 37-minute track listing. Additional cameos on the album come from former Afghan Whigs drummer Patrick Keeler, vocalist/violist Petra Haden, Bo Koster (My Morning Jacket), and many others.

The album captures The Afghan Whigs’ unique ability to conflagrate stab-you-in-your-nose bone guitars and cubist refractions of soul and R&B. You expect bangers from The Afghan Whigs, and there are bangers. Yet there is a reconciliation of loud volume and somber reflections, living life with joy and purpose while keeping one eye on the clock and remaining aware of the absurdity. The Afghan Whigs’ tenth album is a sterling addition to a singular body of work –a double-sided invitation to embrace the light and welcome the darkness.

Tracklist

1. Jungle Roux
2. House of I
3. Duvateen
4. My Lover
5. The Deepest Part of the Darkest Shadow
6. Mariah Luster
7. Memphis, Texas
8. 77
9. Loose Talk
10. A Simulation

ABOUT THE AFGHAN WHIGS

From their inception in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1986, The Afghan Whigs have never played by the rules of convention. Against the plaid-and-grunge-shaded backdrop of the early-to-mid-‘90s, the Whigs stood apart from their contemporaries by virtue of attiring in suits and being way more likely to slide up on a Marvin Gaye groove than rehash a Black Sabbath riff.

Originally splitting in 2001, the band subsequently reunited for a massively successful 2012 reunion tour that found them headlining major festivals all over the globe and selling out prestigious venues throughout the U.S., Europe, and the Southern Hemisphere. Since then, they have not only added to their touring legacy they have released three critically acclaimed albums in the 21st century: Do to the Beast (2014), In Spades (2017) and How Do You Burn? (2022).