Lucius Recruit The War on Drugs for “Old Tape”: Stream

Lucius have joined forces with The War on Drugs frontman Adam Granduciel for their new song “Old Tape.” They’ve also shared a visualizer for the track, which features comedian, actor, and musician Fred Armisen.

The song arrives as a standalone single ahead of Lucius’ tour opening for The War on Drugs and The National, which kicks off on the East Coast in early September. Built on a quick tempo and some signature yearning guitar from Granduciel, “Old Tape” is a towering, anthemic offering from Lucius. “And once in a while/ you turn up the dial/ to an old tape playing in my head,” Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig sing in unison, before belting “I’ll tune it out and live instead.”

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“We wrote ‘Old Tape’ while working on new music at Danny’s studio in LA; we were discussing the loops we get stuck in, the rabbit holes our minds go down, even getting nerdy on epigenetics — the voices in our heads that might not be our own, and ultimately, how to quiet that noise and let it all go,” Lucius said in a statement.

“We wanted to make something that was both driving and uplifting and no one does it better than The War on Drugs… so after building a landscape, we called our dear friend, Adam, to see if he’d lend his beautiful vocals and guitar. He graciously and enthusiastically accepted and it really brought the track to life.” The track also arrives with a music video depicting Fred Armisen dancing in a starkly-lit room, both alone and alongside Wolfe and Laessig. Watch the visualizer below.

Lucius begin the “Zen Diagram” tour with The National and The War on Drugs on September 12th; the tour runs through early October and includes a stop at Louisville, Kentucky’s Bourbon & Beyond festival. Get tickets here.

Lucius’ last album was 2022’s Second Nature. Revisit our interview with the duo, where they discussed writing songs at Sheryl Crow’s house, working with country-folk-whisperer Dave Cobb, and the heartfelt stories behind Second Nature.

Lucius 2024 Tour Dates:
08/21 — London, U.K. @ Village Underground
08/22 — Dublin, Ireland @ Button Factory
09/12 — Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion*
09/13 — New York, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium*
09/14 — Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center*
09/16 — Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion*
09/17 — Philadelphia, PA @ TD Pavilion at The Mann*
09/19 — Laval, QC @ Place Bell*
09/20 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage*
09/21 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center*
09/22 — Louisville, KY @ Bourbon & Beyond Festival
09/24 — Chicago, IL @ United Center*
09/25 — Sterling Heights, MI @ Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre*
09/26 — Madison, WI @ Breese Stevens Field*
09/28 — Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre*
09/29 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Granary Live*
10/01 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena*
10/02 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena*
10/03 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center*
10/05 — Napa, CA @ The Meritage Resort*
10/06 — Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre*
10/07 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl*

* = w/ The National and The War on Drugs