La Dispute have announced their first new album in six years, No One Was Driving the Car, out September 5th via Epitaph. Along with the news, they’ve confirmed a North American tour and released the first act of the album, consisting of three songs: “I Shaved My Head,” “Man with Hands and Ankles Bound,” and “Autofiction Detail.”
No One Was Driving the Car “grapples with malaise in the shadow of the looming apocalypse, which has noticeably been worsened by the advancement of tech,” according to a press release. Heavily inspired by Paul Schrader’s 2017 film First Reformed, the album’s title originates from a quote in a news article read by vocalist Jordan Dreyer, in which a police officer describes a fatal car crash caused bya self-driving Tesla.
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Inspired by Schrader’s “man in the room” trope, the album’s first three tracks describe its subject entering a dissociative state. “I Shaved My Head” begins nearly a cappella with only a thumping bass drum and Dreyer’s growling vocals. As the rest of the band joins in, its lyrics detail the man unraveling: “First I thought you were scared that I could never grow it back again/ Now I see at least six months passed since you recognized me.”
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The band is set to tour Europe and the UK during July, mostly playing shows throughout Germany and England (tickets are on sale now). After that, they will head back across the pond to play for North American audiences starting September 5th in Detroit. Other major stops include Toronto, Boston, Brooklyn, and Atlanta. The tour’s final show is on September 20th in Indianapolis.
Tickets for the North American dates go on sale to the general public on Friday, May 16th at 10:00 a.m. local timevia Ticketmaster. There will be a Live Nation pre-sale for select dates (use code FREESTYLE) beforehand on Thursday, May 15th at 10:00 a.m. local time.
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La Dispute’s last album was 2019’sPanorama.
No One Was Driving the Car Artwork:
No One Was Driving the Car Tracklist:
01. I Shaved My Head
02. Man with Hands and Ankles Bound
03. Autofiction Detail
04. Environmental Catastrophe Film
05. Self-Portrait Backwards
06. The Field
07. Sibling Fistfight at Mom’s Fiftieth / The Un-Sound
08. Landlord Calls the Sheriff In
09. Steve
10. Top-Sellers Banquet
11. Saturation Diver
12. I Dreamt of a Room With All My Friends
13. No One Was Driving the Car
14. End Times Sermon
La Dispute 2025 Tour Dates (new dates in bold):
07/10 — Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
07/11 —Cheltenham, UK @ 2000 Trees Festival
07/12 —Cheltenham, UK @ 2000 Trees Festival
07/14 —Hannover, DE @ MusikZentrum
07/15 —Nürnberg, DE @ Hirsch
07/16 —Karlsruhe, DE @ Substage
07/18 — Cologne, DE @ Open Stage Suedbruecke *
07/19 —Herk-de-Stad, BE @ Rock Herk Festival
07/20 —Cuxhaven, DE @ Deichbrand Festival
09/05 — Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall
09/06 — Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
09/07 — Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
09/08 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit Hall
09/10 — Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
09/11 —Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
09/12 —Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
09/13 —Washington, DC @ Howard Theater
09/14 —Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre
09/16 —Orlando, FL @ The Beacham
09/17 — Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
09/18 —Nashville, TN @ Basement East
09/19 —Columbus, OH @ King of Clubs
09/20 —Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe at Old National Centre
* = w/ Enter Shikari
