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| Photo by Eliot Lee |
Culture Wars is the alternative powerhouse that actually lives up to the "arena-ready" label. Bred in the grit of Austin and now based in Los Angeles, the band has spent the last few years bridging the gap between raw '90s guitar energy and the cinematic polish of modern pop. After accruing over 60M streams and a social audience of just under 1M, Culture Wars is ready to release their debut album, Don't Speak. The album release will be just the beginning, with the band's over 70+ worldwide headline tour dates starting in May.
Can you share more about your debut album, Don't Speak?
"I think it's a long time coming and, you know, something we've been working on for a very long time. We're just very excited for it to come out. And I think it kind of, you know, a lot of times an album like starts, you know, starts the story for a band.", Dugan said.
"And for us, it almost to me, it kind of ends a chapter and starts a new one, if that makes sense, you know, because we've had such a long experience with it. And so to me, this is like, we're ending the, what was the beginning of the book? Is it the prelude or whatever? You know, like we're ending the, we're beginning chapter one now, or maybe we're starting chapter two, I'm not really sure. So, you know, to me, it feels like a like a marker, like a just a life marker for sure," he said.
"Yeah, I think I think it's an album that shows the evolution of a band and a band that's coming into their own in songwriting and how it sounds kind of in every way," Randolph added
How would you compare it to your previous EP in 2021 to your album?
"You know, I think that EP was a band. Well, you know, look, I think I think each piece of it, you know, we needed to do in order to get where we are, you know, like I find, you know, people do a lot of times like band, you know, people go, Oh, that, that record that that band made wasn't one of their best or whatever, you know, but I feel like, you know, people like say that about you, too,
like they people say, like, pop art is a bad YouTube record, but they had to make something a little out there and a little crazy to then do all that you can't leave behind. Like that you have to do that experimentation to get to Beautiful Day, you can't just have, you know, and so, you know, for me with tech, like, there's a lot about tech that I love, but it's not obviously where the album landed, but we had to do that and do that experimentation to get to where we are now, you know," Dugan said.
"I think about Miley, the song on the on the upcoming record, that to me is like, the final form of the tech EP. And it was one of the typical ways and Miley were kind of the two songs from this album that were written the earliest. And so that kind of shows that transition from tech to where we are today. I think the way we were very particular in how we write songs and produce songs now," Dillon added.
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| Photo by Eliot Lee |
"We do it all ourselves, you know, and that's goes down to the writing to the producing to the even the mixing, you know, Alex runs the business and is booking shows like, it just our ethos is that we do it all ourselves. And, you know, other people, you know, not to say that it's bad to with other people. It's just not our ethos. I have hard enough time dealing with that, let alone somebody else," Dillon explained on how they did their own music.
Your inspiration in doing Don't Speak. How would you come up with the album?
"A lot of trial and error. Yeah, it's really a lot of work. The inspiration really was just to create something that we could be proud of. And I think getting better at songwriting is a big part of that. And I think letting that drive us was was super important. I think, I think the bands that we've toured with have certainly been a part of that inspiration. I think going on those tours and certainly been a big part of that inspiration, you know, being able to play these big rooms and go, oh, you know, this, this is this is what we're supposed to do this.", Dillon declared.
Heard that you will embark to a tours, any plans to have your solo show here in Manila?
"That's been a big focus of ours for a while, really. Manila has always been a very important part of the band and our identity. So I think when we do our own show in Manila, you know, how we're planning these things, we want to be very intentional about it and do something special as opposed to just like, just come play, you know." Alex and Dillon hoping to have their solo show here in the country.
Message to your Filipino fans?
"We appreciate you guys so much. Like we really feel y'all support always and we appreciate all your message and all your time,". Dillon delighted to hear that their Filipino fans love their music.
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