Shai Halperin from the War on Drugs (a band) went solo last year with his side project Sweet Lights in order, one would speculate, to satisfy his inner popstar. Quite a departure from the day job and one that went down particularly well. Our favourite cut was ‘Are We Gonna Work it Out’, a rampaging 70’s toned stomper that had radio hit written all over it but then things like that only work if the romance is two-way. Could imagine there’d also be possibilities for a second life on a new technology advert, picture the rainbow colours, the smiles like they mean it teenagers and Shai’s jaunty ditty kicking up a storm just as a message hits paydirt. Such an unfair world but then if he’d already made it with the War on Drugs this song would hardly ever have seen the light of day. Incidentally, another War on Drugs band member Dave Hartley recently appeared on this blog with his equally dashing Nightlands. KD
Sweet Lights – Are We Gonna Work It Out
More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Sweet Lights
Year: 2010
shai halperin has never been in the war on drugs. he was in the capital years which shared some members with the war on drugs.
Cheers for that, that piece of disinformation seems to have propagated itself quite widely on the net.
Shai was in the War on Drugs for a bit, playing guitar opposite Kurt Vile when he, too, was in the band. But yes, his main band was The Capitol Years for some years, in which Adam (main War on Drugs guy) also played bass, then guitar. Tangled web!
Actually, Dave Hartley (Nightlands, War on Drugs) also played in The Capitol Years. Tangled web…of awesomeness!
Thanks for untangling Jeremy – it is indeed a web of confusion. I think I’ll go for a lie down.