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 songs themes of love and loss.“
‘Time Under Tension’ tracklist:
01. Precious Problem
02. Spun Sugar
03. Messages Unsent
04. More Than Muscle
05. Serve
06. Shapes
07. Feels Good
08. Malevolence
09. Balance
10. The Movie Fear Starring Reese Witherspoon
11. Hunger Stones
Upcoming tour dates:
March 18th – Little Giant – Pittsburgh, PA
March 19th – Used Kids Records – Columbus, OH
March 20th – Duck Room – St Louis, MO
March 21st – Recordbar – Kansas City, MO
March 23rd – HQ – Denver, CO
March 24th – The Beehive – Salt Lake City, UT
March 25th – Treefort Music Fest – Boise, ID
March 26th – The Vera Project – Seattle, WA
March 27th – Dante’s – Portland, OR
March 28th – Rampart Skatepark – Arcata, CA
March 29th – Doll Fest – Oakland, CA