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Smartpunk Records and War On Women are teaming up for a big year of new music that’s as timely as ever. The band’s fifth full-length album, Time Under Tension, comes out on May 8th, 2026.
While the upcoming record fulfills fans’ cravings for thoughtful lyrics and powerful punk energy rooted in advocacy, the band also experiments with melodic genre elements from alt-rock, indie, and more. This expansion and evolution are captured clearly in their latest single, “Messages Unsent.”
Shawna Potter, vocalist of War On Women, elaborated further on the heartfelt meaning behind the track:
“This is the first love song I’ve written in a long time, certainly the first in this band. It’s about the idea that once you really have something to lose, a partner or a life you love (or in this case, my dog Rosie), then you start to care more about your own safety, about sticking around. You start thinking about your mortality, and theirs, and it’s terrifying. But even if we don’t get forever, I like the idea that love can live on.
“We wanted to create a video as bittersweet and nostalgic as the song itself, so we opted to revisit the first tour we did post-2020, when we weren’t sure if we’d ever get to play live music again. The joy of gathering against such a tragic backdrop mimics the song’s themes of love and loss.”
War On Women ‘Time Under Tension’ album artwork
Time Under Tension Track Listing:
1. Precious Problem
2. Spun Sugar
3. Messages Unsent
4. More Than Muscle
5. Serve
6. Shapes
7. Feels Good
8. Malevolence
9. Balance
10. The Movie Fear Starring Reese Witherspoon
11. Hunger Stones
Tour Dates:
03/18 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Little Giant
03/19 – Columbus, OH @ Used Kids Records
03/20 – St Louis, MO @ Duck Room
03/21 – Kansas City, MO @ Recordbar
03/23 – Denver, CO @ HQ
03/24 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Beehive
03/25 – Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Fest*
03/26 – Seattle, WA @ The Vera Project
03/27 – Portland, OR @ Dante’s
03/28 – Arcata, CA @ Rampart Skatepark
03/29 – Oakland, CA @ Doll Fest*
*No Oceanator
Tour Dates (w/ Subhumans):
05/06 – Houston, TX @ Bad Astronaut
05/07 – Corpus Christi TX @ House of Rock
05/08 – San Antonio, TX @ Rah Rah Room
05/09 – Austin, TX @ 29th Street Ballroom
05/10 – Dallas, TX @ AM/FM