The Afghan Whigs announce the release of their eagerly anticipated new album“Soft Control” coming August 21, 2026, via Royal Cream/BMG – pre-order and pre-save HERE. The band also releases a brand-new single“Jungle Roux” today on all streaming digital services.
The Afghan Whigs are also announcing new tour dates today in Europe for this fall. Tickets for all shows will go on sale this Friday. Joining the band on the road in the UK/EU is 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”.
The Afghan Whigs new album, “Soft Control” is testament to the old David Bowie quote, where he describes aging as “an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been.” By now, the volatile years of band leader Greg Dulli’s youth have been substituted with a wry and self-aware satori. The edge and sensitive temperament remain but the unchecked infernos of ego and rage no longer threaten personal immolation. And Dulli’s vocals are simultaneously the strongest and most delicate that they’ve ever been.
“I’ve worked hard on my inner peace,” Dulli commented. “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.”
“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.
The Afghan Whigs Tour Dates
Jul 10 Fri – Brugge, Belgium – Cactus Festival
Sep 19 Sat – Leeds, UK – Stylus
Sep 20 Sun – Nottingham, UK – The Palais
Sep 22 Tue – Glasgow, UK – SWG3 Galvanizers
Sep 23 Wed – Manchester, UK – O2 Ritz
Sep 24 Thu – London, UK – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Sep 26 Sat – Brighton, UK – Chalk
Sep 27 Sun – Paris, FR – Trabendo
Sep 28 Mon – Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso
Sep 30 Wed – Cologne, DE – Luxor
Oct 1 Thu – Liege, BE – OM
Oct 3 Sat – Eindhoven, Netherlands
Oct 4 Sun – Antwerp, BE – De Roma
Oct 5 Mon – Brussels, BE – Ancienne Belgique
UK/Europe Support – Ed Harcourt
“Soft Control” Tracklist:
Jungle Roux
House of I
Duvateen
My Lover
The Deepest Part of the Darkest Shadow
Mariah Luster
Memphis, Texas
77
Loose Talk
A Simulation
