American rock band Culture Wars will release their album "If Not Now, When?" at the beginning of 2025, as announced in an exclusive interview with Music Geek. The group comprises vocalist Alex Dugan, drummer David Grayson, bassist Dillon Randolph, and guitarists Josh Stirm and Caleb Contreras.
The band is famous for their distinct smooth vocals and rich guitar layers, particularly in their songs "Heaven," "Lies," and "Faith." Recently, the group performed for four days straight in the Philippines as the opening act for LANY.
Since 2017, Culture Wars has created music together after getting acquainted through mutual friends, where they initially practiced the craft for entertainment only.
Explaining the meaning behind their band name, "Everyone in the band comes from different backgrounds and has different tastes in all aspects, artistically or in beliefs."
Despite the differences, the members strive to find a middle ground and commonality. If there's a phrase to describe their sound, they wish that it's something their listeners could never stop listening to. Essentially, they aim to convey electrifying energy to their listeners.
Discussing their process, the musicians said they usually join forces to accomplish a song, piecing together various elements and impressively delivering self-produced tracks. Besides the experience of conceptualizing a new piece, the members mutually agreed that "drum day," or the period when they experiment with drum parts, is the most enjoyable part of preparing a fresh track.
In addition, the members claimed they're naturally productive while recording in the studio, "We are different than other bands in that we come in the morning and work in the day; it's like a day job."
Describing their synth-rock single, "Miley," the band shared how it depicts a young woman exploring Los Angeles oblivious to her dating mistakes, illustrating the complexities of romantic relationships.
On the other hand, their pulsating hit song "Heaven" is about vulnerability and finding comfort in the presence of a partner while in a completely foreign country.
When asked which composition best showcases Culture Wars' identity, the members selected their evocative track "Slowly."
Besides the euphonious blend, they disclosed how quickly they recorded the piece, "That was the first time we ever did that, the entire song, we recorded everything in two days."
But they revealed that they encountered a couple of challenges after releasing new music and touring.
Nevertheless, they are grateful for the opportunities to perform in various countries, stating, "It's not very rock and roll, but we are running like a business, so we're having to move things around."
They added, "Promoting the right way when digital is rapidly changing all the time is always a challenge."
But they admitted that they quickly pivot and adapt to changes.
"We hope that we can step up and take advantage of those breaks and prove to people that are giving us a chance that we're worthy of taking a chance on."
Finally, the artists further expressed how much music means to the band, pointing out the fact that they've poured their efforts into their upcoming album "If not now, when?"
"If this doesn't work, I don't know what else we'd do, this is everything to us. Every band's first album is their baby, and they say you have about ten years to write your first album and six months to write your second."