From GRAMMY-nominated soundtracks to stadium tours with Maroon 5 and Keane, Austin-based rock outfit Culture Wars have built their name on energy, honesty, and unapologetically loud music. Their new single “Typical Ways” channels all that and more—a blistering anthem born out of frustration, transformation, and a need to scream at the mirror. Ahead of supporting LANY in Taiwan and teasing a raw, ambitious album slated for 2025, we caught up with the band to talk about angry letters, songwriting as therapy, and why they think rock deserves its moment back in the spotlight.
Let’s rewind a bit. How did you all meet, who does what in the band, and when was the moment you realised this could actually become something real?
David and I met through mutual friends almost 10 years ago, and we were in different bands together before this one. I later met Dillon through a friend I grew up with. We then met Caleb, who was interning at a studio in Austin at the time, and later met Josh, who was interning at Sonic Ranch when we made teche. It never feels real—even now! lol
Who’s the funniest person in the band, and who thinks they’re the funniest but probably isn’t?
Dave is the office funny guy, and if anyone else tries to be funny, the running joke is, “Hey Caleb, can I talk to you outside for a minute?”
Life on the road must come with some wild stories. What’s the most ridiculous or unforgettable thing that’s happened to you all while touring?
There’s a lot of random stuff that happens—like when we were opening a show at a massive stadium, and before they opened the doors, we all had to stay outside so they could fumigate for mosquitos… or when we were playing an arena gig that got canceled because the venue had no power. Crazy what happens before the gigs.
If each of you had to be cast as a movie character or personality type—like the wildcard, the planner, the chill one—how would you describe the group?
Dave is definitely the dad of the group, which makes me the de facto mom. None of us are the chill one.
You’ve described “Typical Ways” as an angry letter to yourself. What triggered that letter, and what message did your past self really need to hear in that moment?
I just needed to prioritise my health and mental well-being and break old habits. When you turn 30, your body can’t take that kind of punishment anymore. Time to grow up.
There’s a raw, almost theatrical energy in the chorus—it feels cathartic. Did you write this track in one emotional burst, or was it something you kept coming back to as your perspective shifted?
I woke up singing the whole thing, so I essentially wrote it in my sleep. It wasn’t thought through initially, but I later went back and rewrote the verse a handful of times.
Your debut EP Teche pulled in over 11 million streams and charted in the Top 30 on US alt radio—all independently. At what point did you realise, “Wait, this is actually taking off”? Was there a specific moment or message that hit differently?
The world of being independent is full of constant work and battling for attention. By the time you reach an achievement, it doesn’t feel like a surprise—it just feels like the result of hard work and persistence.
Rock music lately tends to lean polished or moody. “Typical Ways” kicks the door down. Was that aggression and unfiltered emotion something you felt rock music needed right now?
We just made a song we wanted to hear—but to your point, yes. For a long time, rock music has been used as the major labels’ minor leagues for pop because it’s cheaper to promote and easier to build. It’s time to let the bands back into their own genre.
You’ve played this live while on tour with some stadium giants—Maroon 5, The Script, Keane—and you mentioned it’s been a crowd favorite. Why do you think this particular song hits so hard with audiences?
I honestly don’t know. I think it’s easily understood—it’s very simple at its core. I don’t think it’s just a loudness or energy thing because we have plenty of that in other songs. The song just works, and I try not to overthink it.
Getting a placement on a GRAMMY-nominated soundtrack is no small feat. What was your reaction when you found out “Leave Me Alone” made it into Bill & Ted Face the Music? Did it feel surreal, validating, or just plain weird in the best way?
We’ve always been fans of the movies, so it was definitely a very cool experience and validating. It helped launch our EP and our career in a lot of ways, so we’re very grateful.
The phrase “angry letter to my former self” is powerful—what emotions or realisations were you unpacking? And does writing that kind of song offer closure, or is it more like reopening a wound to process it?
I think the closure came on my own, away from the song—and the closure in my personal life allowed me to be more comfortable in the song, if that makes sense?
Do you feel like anger can be a healing emotion when channelled through music? Has writing “Typical Ways” changed how you relate to that part of yourself?
There are healthy ways to release anger. I always reference the type of meditation that includes screaming—John and Yoko used to carry on about it. I don’t see it as relating to myself specifically. I just wrote how I felt—and how I continue to feel as I grow up.
You’re clearly not shying away from vulnerability in this new phase. Is this a conscious pivot toward deeper, more honest songwriting in the upcoming album?
I wouldn’t say I’m being all that vulnerable personally. There’s a great deal I leave out, and I’m very deliberate about what I put into the music and what I don’t. It’s easier to say everything bluntly—it takes a lot more skill to describe something in a way that’s open to interpretation. I don’t like spelling things out for people; some things can be just for me.
There’s a gritty authenticity in “Typical Ways” that feels like a throwback and a statement. What were some sonic influences or production choices that helped shape this raw rock sound?
That’s really on Dillon. I think we just leaned into the parts he wrote and let it happen. Sonic Ranch and their gear were a big part of it too—big Marshall stacks, vintage guitars.
The band name Culture Wars implies tension, duality, and conflict. Does “Typical Ways” reflect the battle between conformity and self-reclamation?
I don’t really think of things that way. I think “Typical Ways” and the rest of the album just show the type of band we want to be and the music we want to make. We’re a rock band. We want to continue to cultivate an organic, true-band working relationship and sound.
From the live drums to the belt-your-lungs-out vocals, it feels like you’re pushing back against hyper-digitized rock. Was that deliberate, like reclaiming space for imperfection and intensity?
I wouldn’t say pushing back, but going into the writing, we were very deliberate about being song-first—writing a song with a vocal and guitar or vocal and piano, and not moving forward unless those two elements were good on their own. That then lends itself to being able to just lean on the band and let them do what they do best.
You’re supporting LANY in Taiwan soon. How are you preparing to bring that raw energy from “Typical Ways” to an international crowd that might be hearing it for the first time?
Well, this will actually be our second time in Kaohsiung. We were just there a few months ago at the Kaohsiung National Stadium with Maroon 5. We’re planning to bring the same energy and show to round two. We love it there and love the fans. Excited to go back—and big props to the LANY crew for making good on this makeup date that was canceled previously due to a cyclone.
When you see audiences reacting live to a song born out of personal struggle, what goes through your head? Is it strange to see people sing something back that came from such a personal place?
I honestly don’t think about it like that. I’m just glad that people enjoy what we do and identify with it in some way. It’s more of a validation of the years of hard work—and the beauty of the internet—that we can go to a new country for the first time and there are people who already know our music and the words. That part is wild.
A lot of your music balances chaos and clarity—what do you want fans to walk away with after hearing “Typical Ways”? Is there a bigger message behind the noise?
Maybe those vast differences we feel between one another aren’t as wide as they seem. When we come together, we have a lot more in common than we think.
If your younger self—the one that “Typical Ways” is addressed to—heard the song today, what do you think they’d say back to you?
“Ah, shut up and go have another drink. You think too much.”
