{"id":44313,"date":"2026-02-21T12:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T17:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44313"},"modified":"2026-02-10T19:23:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T00:23:48","slug":"the-new-pornographers-return-with-shimmering-new-single-pure-sticker-shock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44313","title":{"rendered":"The New Pornographers return with shimmering new single \u2018Pure Sticker Shock\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The New Pornographers are back, and they\u2019re looking inward\u2014without losing an ounce of their melodic punch. The beloved indie-pop supergroup shared <strong><em>Pure Sticker Shock<\/em>,<\/strong>\u00a0the latest single from their forthcoming album\u00a0\u2018<strong>The Former Site Of<\/strong>,\u2019 out\u00a0<strong>March 27 via Merge Records<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Built on glossy synth-pop textures and buoyant hooks, <em>Pure Sticker Shock<\/em> masks its emotional weight with effortless charm. Frontperson&nbsp;<strong>A.C. Newman<\/strong>&nbsp;uses the song to wrestle with questions of value and self-worth, threading introspection through a deceptively bright arrangement. As Newman explains, the track isn\u2019t tied to one specific moment, but rather a feeling that\u2019s felt uncomfortably relevant:&nbsp;<em>What has worth, and who gets to decide?<\/em>&nbsp;It\u2019s classic New Pornographers\u2014smart, catchy, and quietly cutting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vf_qcJFtpqY?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-CA&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018The Former Site Of\u2019 marks the band\u2019s\u00a0<strong>tenth studio album<\/strong>, collecting ten sharp, compact stories about people pushed to personal and societal edges, all rendered as meticulously crafted pop songs. Newman initially built the album in his home studio before bringing the songs to the rest of the band\u2014<strong>Kathryn Calder, Neko Case, John Collins, and Todd Fancey<\/strong>\u2014allowing ideas to evolve without friction. The record also introduces legendary session drummer\u00a0<strong>Charley Drayton<\/strong> (Divinyls, The Rolling Stones, Fiona Apple) to the New Pornographers\u2019 world, while\u00a0<strong>Josh Wells<\/strong>\u00a0(Destroyer, Black Mountain) will handle drums on the upcoming tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The new single follows January\u2019s acclaimed\u00a0<strong><em>Votive<\/em>,<\/strong> which earned praise from <em>The New York Times<\/em>,\u00a0<em>Pitchfork<\/em>, and\u00a0<em>AV Club<\/em>, as well as the album\u2019s first release, <strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=42173\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Ballad of the Last Payphone\">Ballad Of The Last Payphone<\/a><\/em>.<\/strong>\u00a0That track arrived as a limited 7-inch vinyl and leaned into a more reflective, slow-burn mood\u2014one\u00a0<em>Paste<\/em>\u00a0called a melancholy standout filled with acoustic strums, ghostly pedal steel, and memory-soaked vocals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The album is available to\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/lnk.to\/TheFormerSiteOf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">pre-order now<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0via Merge Records and the band\u2019s webstore, including exclusive vinyl variants like the\u00a0<strong>\u201cMai Tai\u201d LP<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>\u201cSpilled Ink\u201d LP<\/strong>\u00a0for collectors who like their pop with a splash of colour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7036.jpeg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7036.jpeg?resize=900%2C900&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-44315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7036.jpeg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7036.jpeg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7036.jpeg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7036.jpeg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2018The Former Site Of\u2019 track list<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Great Princess Story<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pure Sticker Shock<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ballad Of The Last Payphone<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Spooky Action<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wish You Could See Me I\u2019m Killing It<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Votive<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Wine Remembers The Water<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Calligraphy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bonus Mai Tais<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Former Site Of<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>To celebrate the release,&nbsp;<strong>The New Pornographers will hit the road this spring<\/strong>, kicking off April 22 in Boston and wrapping up May 21 in Washington, DC. The tour includes stops in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, and more, with&nbsp;<strong>Will Sheff of Okkervil River<\/strong>&nbsp;joining as support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After more than 20 years, nine albums, and a career defined by harmony-rich hooks and emotional complexity, The New Pornographers continue to prove they\u2019re still evolving\u2014still sharp, still curious, and still writing pop songs that linger long after the last chorus fades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018The Former Site Of\u2019 lands&nbsp;<strong>March 27<\/strong>. Tour tickets are on sale now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>The New Pornographers are back, and they\u2019re looking inward\u2014without losing an ounce of their melodic punch. The beloved indie-pop supergroup shared Pure Sticker Shock,\u00a0the latest <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44313\" title=\"The New Pornographers return with shimmering new single \u2018Pure Sticker Shock\u2019\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[22,23,25,28,30,1907],"tags":[764,13114,13115,11038,1245],"class_list":["post-44313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guitar-rock","category-indie","category-live","category-music","category-new-release","category-news","tag-merge-records","tag-pure-sticker-shock","tag-the-former-site-of","tag-the-new-pornographers","tag-tour-dates"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7035.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2B2TV-bwJ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":38712,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=38712","url_meta":{"origin":44313,"position":0},"title":"The New Pornographers share \u2018Pontius Pilate&#8217;s Home Movies\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"March 17, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The New Pornographers\u00a0have shared their new track Pontius Pilate\u2019s Home Movies in anticipation of their forthcoming album\u00a0\u2018Continue as a Guest\u2019. This will be their first for\u00a0Merge Records,\u00a0due\u00a0March 31. Stream Pontius Pilate\u2019s Home Movies\u00a0via YouTube below. https:\/\/youtu.be\/kekUoia4bRg \u201cLyrically, it is very much a stream-of-consciousness story about the disease of social media\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"The New Pornographers press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/A72F0663-6322-42BE-AD9C-839C5513E4F8.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/A72F0663-6322-42BE-AD9C-839C5513E4F8.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/A72F0663-6322-42BE-AD9C-839C5513E4F8.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/A72F0663-6322-42BE-AD9C-839C5513E4F8.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42173,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=42173","url_meta":{"origin":44313,"position":1},"title":"The New Pornographers unveil \u2018Ballad of the Last Payphone\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"April 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The New Pornographers surprised vinyl enthusiasts everywhere by dropping a limited\u2011edition 7\u2033\u2014their first full\u2011band recording since 2023\u2014through A.C. Newman\u2019s Substack, Ballad of a New Pornographer. The A\u2011side, Ballad of the Last Payphone, and its flip, Ego Death for Beginners, have been turning heads (and turntables) from coast to coast. A\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Illustration of The New Pornographers by Brian Lutz","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_4399.jpeg?fit=900%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_4399.jpeg?fit=900%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_4399.jpeg?fit=900%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_4399.jpeg?fit=900%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8259,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=8259","url_meta":{"origin":44313,"position":2},"title":"The Pains of Being Pure at Heart announces fall tour dates","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"June 10, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are heading out on the road\u00a0with\u00a0The New Pornographers this fall for a full North American tour (full listing is below). It kicks off\u00a0with a two-night run at Seattle's Showbox and wraps up\u00a0at Cat's Cradle in NC. Tour\u00a0dates: 10-05\u00a0& 06 Seattle, WA @ The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;indie&quot;","block_context":{"text":"indie","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Pains of Being Pure at Heart promo picture","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Pains.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Pains.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Pains.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Pains.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1283,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=1283","url_meta":{"origin":44313,"position":3},"title":"Telekinesis release new video for &#8216;Country Lane&#8217;","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"November 9, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Telekinesis have released their new video for the ultra-catchy track, Country Lane taken from their latest album '12 Desperate Straight Lines'. Watch the video below. The band are wrapping up their year of touring in support of '12 Desperate Straight Lines,' which included dates with the Love Language, Portugal. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;indie&quot;","block_context":{"text":"indie","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"Telekinesis","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/telekenesis_high_res-9533_hi_hi.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/telekenesis_high_res-9533_hi_hi.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/telekenesis_high_res-9533_hi_hi.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/telekenesis_high_res-9533_hi_hi.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/telekenesis_high_res-9533_hi_hi.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13549,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=13549","url_meta":{"origin":44313,"position":4},"title":"Canadian Music Week announces the 2015 SiriusXM Indie Awards winners","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"May 10, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Canadian Music Week has announced the winners of the 2015 SiriusXM Indies - 15th\u00a0Annual Independent Music Awards.\u00a0ALVVAYS, Caribou, The Weeknd and\u00a0Death From Above 1979\u00a0were among the nominees who took home top honours.\u00a0Both public and industry votes determined the winners. Fans also had the opportunity to vote online for their favourites\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Canada&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Canada","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=206"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/vrZxt476ef4\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11390,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=11390","url_meta":{"origin":44313,"position":5},"title":"The Pains of Being Pure at Heart share latest video for &#8216;Kelly&#8217;","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"October 29, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have shared the video for their latest single Kelly. It was shot by the band's friend and longtime collaborator, Art Boonparn. Check out\u00a0the video via YouTube below. [youtube_sc url=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_c8fkmzd8vY\" theme=\"light\"] The band also recently released a deluxe edition of their 2014 LP 'Days\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;indie&quot;","block_context":{"text":"indie","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pains of Being Pure At Heart Kelly video still","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/pains-video.png?fit=711%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/pains-video.png?fit=711%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/pains-video.png?fit=711%2C477&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/pains-video.png?fit=711%2C477&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=44313"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44313\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44319,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44313\/revisions\/44319"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/44316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=44313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=44313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=44313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}