Photo courtesy of the band.
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 8, 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” – listen here.
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 TOUR // MARCH 2026
18 Pittsburgh, PA @ Little Giant
19 Columbus, OH @ Used Kids Records
20 St Louis, MO @ Duck Room
21 Kansas City, MO @ Recordbar
23 Denver, CO @ HQ
24 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Beehive
25 Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Fest*
26 Seattle, WA @ The Vera Project
27 Portland, OR @ Dante’s
28 Arcata, CA @ Rampart Skatepark
29 Oakland, CA @ Doll Fest*
*No Oceanator
WAR ON WOMEN SUPPORTING SUBHUMANS
May 06 Houston, TX @ Bad Astronaut
May 07 Corpus Christi TX @ House of Rock
May 08 San Antonio, TX @ Rah Rah Room
May 09 Austin, TX @ 29th Street Ballroom
May 10 Dallas, TX @ AM/FM
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