A bigger bang

The War on Drugs keeps growing in size and audience appeal.

- GRAHAM REID

Adam Granduciel, main man of the American band the War on Drugs, is enthusiastic about getting back on tour after some downtime at home; in December the band returns to New Zealand.

And their trajectory here mirrors the increasing international acclaim they've enjoyed since forming in Philadelphia almost 20 years ago. When they played Auckland in 2014, it was the Powerstation; this time it's Spark Arena.

These days, they are used to massive audiences, in Quebec playing before Lana Del Rey to "something like 100,000, and we played Madison Square Garden [capacity almost 20,000] a couple of times".

Having started in local clubs with a small band - which included Kurt Vile who left in 2008 for his equally successful solo career - Granduciel has changed his approach to performing. Previously, he felt they had to prove themselves because they were being judged, but "people don't do that, they go to be with their friends and have a good time.