Austin-based band Culture Wars has shared their shout-from-the-rooftops single, “Typical Ways,” now streaming on all DSPs worldwide.
Culture Wars layers guitars and stadium-sized vocals on the band’s hardest-hitting release to date, tackling the cycle of addiction and the trap of falling into one’s typical ways. Vocalist Alex Dugan wrote the song as an angry letter to himself – its explosive, belt-worthy chorus showcases a level of emotion and angst all but lost in modern rock ‘n’ roll.
The track follows the band’s supporting run in Mexico with 2000s icons Keane, as well as stadium tours with Maroon 5, LANY, and The Script, where “Typical Ways” consistently drew the loudest cheers from virtually every crowd – further cementing Culture Wars’ rising global presence.
Alex describes the song’s unexpected origins: “Typical Ways” is a song that came out of thin air. Dillon came over and showed me a guitar riff and song idea he’d been working on, which I thought was cool — but I couldn’t think of anything to sing to it. However, overnight, I ended up writing the whole thing in my sleep and woke up the next morning with the entire verse and chorus playing in my head. I quickly recorded it on my phone and showed it to Dillon.”
He adds, “Since then, ‘Typical Ways’ has consistently gotten the biggest roar from the crowd, night after night, on every tour across the world – which gave us a pretty clear indication we did something right. As the earliest song from the album, ‘Typical Ways’ was written in Austin, TX and later recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles. I wrote it during a time before I met my wife, when I was not in a good mental state. I consider this song an angry letter I wrote to myself.”
In addition to releasing new music, Culture Wars will support LANY at their upcoming Taiwan performance at Kaohsiung Music Center on June 1.
Slated for 2025, Culture Wars’ forthcoming album arrives ready to connect with a generation starved for authenticity and provocation in their rock bands. The group’s energizing and unapologetically moving record is a breath of fresh air – full of ambition and pure intentions. As the band’s name implies, seemingly disparate passions battle within the songs, somehow finding a beautiful peace.
Combining past, present, and future with bold swagger and a mastery of real instruments, Culture Wars oozes honesty, ambition, and unabashed energy designed to resonate with diverse audiences.
In 2021, the band released their widely praised debut EP teche, amassing over 11 million streams independently, sparking viral traction on TikTok, and charting in Top 30 at U.S. alternative radio. Highlights include tracks like “Faith,” “Lose Money,” and “Leave Me Alone,” which was featured on the Grammy-nominated Bill & Ted Face the Music soundtrack. Their recent singles, “Heaven” and “It Hurts” (Top 20 U.S. alt radio), have racked up over 10 million streams in just a few months – catapulting the band to new heights as they head into 2025.