Hear The New Pornographers’ New Song ‘Pure Sticker Shock’ ::antiMusic.com

Official Announcement | Published: Feb 11, 2026 4:01 PM EST

() The New Pornographers today share “Pure Sticker Shock”, the latest single from their highly anticipated new album The Former Site Of due 27th March on Merge Records.

The band turns their focus inward on “Pure Sticker Shock”, as frontperson A.C. Newman’s lyrics grapple with self-worth over jamming synth-pop refrains. “This song is not about a specific event, but it has felt very ‘applicable’ to me and this year of my life,” Newman shares, “It basically asks the question ‘What has worth? Who is deciding?’ Your market value is not always your value.”

On The Former Site Of, the tenth studio album from the acclaimed supergroup, ten short stories of people at personal and societal extremes are collected as meticulously crafted pop songs. The record was first crafted by Newman in his home studio before being brought to the band, composed of Newman, Kathryn Calder, Neko Case, John Collins and Todd Fancey. The group is joined for the first time by storied session drummer Charley Drayton (Divinyls, The Rolling Stones, Fiona Apple). Josh Wells (Destroyer, Black Mountain) will join as the touring drummer for the band’s upcoming dates in the Spring.

Of the making of the album, Newman notes, “Having time in my studio really opened things up. I don’t like wasting my bandmates’ time, and always felt guilty when I’d give them a song, ask them to do something, then completely change the song and ask them to do it again. Now I can get the skeleton of a song together first-just a couple of elements, the key feeling, really as little as possible-before bringing it to the band and running from there.”

The band will kick off their U.S. tour on 22nd of April at The Wilbur in Boston with stops at New York’s Webster Hall, Los Angeles’ Teragram Ballroom, Chicago’s The Metro, Washington D.C.’s 9:30 Club and many more, with support from Will Sheff of Okkervil River.