The Former Site Of

The Former Site Of
Studio album by
the New Pornographers
ReleasedMarch 27, 2026
StudioMultiple locations in British Columbia and the U.S.
Length41:13
LabelMerge
The New Pornographers chronology
Continue as a Guest
(2023) 		The Former Site Of
(2026)
Singles from The Former Site Of
  1. "Votive"
    Released: January 21, 2026
  2. "Pure Sticker Shock"
    Released: February 10, 2026
  3. "Spooky Action"
    Released: March 2, 2026

The Former Site Of is the upcoming tenth studio album by Canadian indie rock band the New Pornographers, scheduled for release on March 27, 2026 via Merge Records.[1] The record has been led by the singles "Votive", "Pure Sticker Shock", and "Spooky Action" and was also preceded by a earlier version of "Ballad of the Last Payphone".

It will be their first album since Brill Bruisers (2014) to not feature drummer Joe Seiders following his arrest and removal from the band in 2025. Much of the album was re-recorded, with drum parts instead provided by session player Charley Drayton.

Background and recording

On April 9, 2025, drummer Joe Seiders was suddenly arrested on multiple charges, including possession of child pornography. The band subsequently issued a statement on Instagram stating they all were "absolutely shocked, horrified and devastated" by the news, and they "immediately severed all ties" with him.[2] Seiders had joined the group in 2014 after the release of Brill Bruisers earlier that year, subsequently playing on Whiteout Conditions (2017), In the Morse Code of Brake Lights (2019), Continue as a Guest (2023), and the single "Ballad of the Last Payphone".[3] Later that November, band member A.C. Newman gave an interview to Rolling Stone, saying that he became aware of Seiders' arrest about one day afterwards, but it took several days for the band members to process what had happened. They also considered renaming the group based on the nature of the charges but ultimately kept the name.[4]

Newman had originally anticipated that the follow-up to Continue as a Guest would be completed by the end of 2023, but it became delayed because Neko Case had to fulfill a separate eight-month obligation. By April 2025, the band had nearly finished the record, but with the news of Seiders' arrest, they decided to scrap his drum parts and re-record with a new drummer. They enlisted session drummer Charley Drayton and recorded his parts at Area 52 Studios near Woodstock, New York with engineer Dave Cook in either June or July 2025; both Drayton and Cook had previously worked together when recording "Love Shack" by the B-52s. Much of the remaining work was re-recorded as well, including Newman's vocals on "Wish You Could See Me I'm Killing It".[4]

Promotion

Announcement and singles

In early 2025, the New Pornographers released a limited 7-inch vinyl single "Ballad of the Last Payphone" with B-side "Ego Death for Beginners", made available to Vinyl Club-tier members of Newman's Substack page. The A-side was later released digitally on April 2 with a music video animated by Michael Arthur.[5] The release of this single predates Seider's arrest and subsequent re-recording of the album.[4]

The Former Site Of was announced on January 21, 2026 and was led by the single "Votive" with another music video by Arthur.[1] Two more singles have been released in anticipation of the record: "Pure Sticker Shock" on February 10[6] and "Spooky Action" on March 2.[7]

Tour

In November 2025, having not performed live since Seiders' arrest, they announced a 2026 U.S. tour starting on April 22 at The Wilbur in Boston, Massachusetts and ending on May 21 at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C.[8] John Wells, known for his work with Destroyer and Black Mountain, will play the drums while on tour,[9] and for each U.S. date, they are to be supported by Will Sheff of the band Okkervil River.[10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Mojo[11]
Record Collector[12]
Uncut8/10[13]

In an 8 out of 10 review for Uncut magazine, Bud Scoppa commented that the record's background "inevitably bring[s] an additional layer of darkness to allusively eloquent, quietly agitated songs" such as "Pure Sticker Shock" and "Votive".[13]

Track listing

All tracks are written by A.C. Newman.[14]

The Former Site Of track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Great Princess Story"4:11
2."Pure Sticker Shock"4:09
3."Ballad of the Last Payphone"3:49
4."Spooky Action"4:53
5."Wish You Could See Me I'm Killing It"3:39
6."Votive"3:45
7."Wine Remembers the Water"1:48
8."Calligraphy"3:47
9."Bonus Mai Tais"4:34
10."The Former Site Of"6:38
Total length:41:13

Personnel

Credits are adapted from Bandcamp.[14]

The New Pornographers

Additional musicians

Recording studios and engineers

British Columbia, Canada

  • 8EAST, Vancouver – JP Carter
  • Afterlife Studios, Vancouver – John Raham, assisted by Brendan Guy
  • The Hive, Victoria – Colin Stewart, additional engineering by Kathryn Calder
  • Todd Fancey's house, Vancouver – Todd Fancey
  • Welcome to the Trailerdome, Galiano Island – John Collins
  • Unnamed studio, Vancouver – David Carswell

United States

Other technical and design personnel

  • Colin Stewart – mixing (except "Wish You Could See Me I'm Killing It" and "Bonus Mai Tais")
  • A.C. Newman – mixing ("Wish You Could See Me I'm Killing It")
  • John Collins – mixing ("Bonus Mai Tais")
  • Matthew Barnhart – mastering at Chicago Mastering Service
  • Michael Arthur – artwork
  • Daniel Murphy – package design and layout

References

  1. ^ a b Epstein-Gross, Casey (January 21, 2026). "The New Pornographers return with The Former Site Of". Paste. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  2. ^ Rodgriguez, Matthew (April 18, 2025). "'New Pornographers' drummer arrested in Southern California for possession of child sexual abuse material". CBS News. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  3. ^ Green, Walden (April 17, 2025). "New Pornographers Drummer Joe Seiders Arrested for Possession of Child Pornography". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  4. ^ a b c Blistein, Jon (November 18, 2025). "New Pornographers Drummer Joe Seiders Arrested for Possession of Child Pornography". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  5. ^ Bloom, Madison (April 2, 2025). "The New Pornographers Share New Song 'Ballad of the Last Payphone': Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  6. ^ Breihan, Tom (February 10, 2026). "The New Pornographers – 'Pure Sticker Shock'". Stereogum. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  7. ^ Breihan, Tom (March 2, 2026). "The New Pornographers – 'Spooky Action'". Stereogum. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  8. ^ Strauss, Matthew (April 2, 2025). "The New Pornographers Share New Song 'Ballad of the Last Payphone': Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  9. ^ Hudson, Alex (January 21, 2026). "The New Pornographers Detail 'The Former Site Of,' Share Single 'Votive'". Exclaim!. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  10. ^ Greene, Andy (January 21, 2026). "New Pornographers Plot Return With New Album, 'The Former Site Of'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  11. ^ Doyle, Tom (March 17, 2026). "Filter Albums: The New Pornographers – The Former Site Of". Mojo. No. 390 (May 2026). London: H Bauer Publishing. p. 87. ISSN 1351-0193.
  12. ^ Harley, Kevin (March 19, 2026). "New Albums: The New Pornographers – The Former Site Of". Record Collector. No. 582 (April 2026). London: Diamond Publishing Ltd. p. 108. ISSN 0261-250X.
  13. ^ a b Scoppa, Bud (February 27, 2026). "New Albums: The New Pornographers – The Former Site Of". Uncut. No. 350 (April 2026). Yalding, Kent, England: Kelsey Media. p. 36. ISSN 1368-0722.
  14. ^ a b "The Former Site Of by The New Pornographers". Bandcamp. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.