| We Are Drugs | ||||
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | October 7, 2016 | |||
| Recorded | 2016 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 26:26 | |||
| Label | Mega Collider | |||
| Producer | Stephan Jenkins | |||
| Third Eye Blind chronology | ||||
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| Singles from We Are Drugs | ||||
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We Are Drugs is a studio EP by American alternative rock band Third Eye Blind. Preceded by the singles "Cop vs. Phone Girl" and "Company of Strangers", We Are Drugs was released on October 7, 2016.
As early as 2012, Third Eye Blind frontman Stephan Jenkins stated that following the release of their fifth album, they would cease releasing full albums, in favor of smaller EP releases. [1] After the band released their fifth album, Dopamine , in June 2015, Jenkins stated there were five to six songs from the Dopamine sessions that—once he had time to finish them after the band finished touring to support Dopamine—he would want to release. [2] Several months later, Jenkins began discussing plans for a new EP release in mid-2016. [3]
Contrary to the band's previous few albums— Out of the Vein (2003), Ursa Major (2009), and Dopamine (2015), which were recorded over the course of four to six years—the band was limited to only one week in a studio in Texas in early 2016 to record We Are Drugs. [4] Jenkins stated that the success of Dopamine finally allowed him to stop obsessing over perfecting lyrics, something he had done in the past. [5] The band focused on continuous sessions that would take a song from conception to completion. [4] No guidelines or definitions of what the music should be or sound like were permitted during the sessions; this allowed the band to create the music they felt in the time they were working on it. [4] Lyrics and vocals for the track "Weightless," however, were completed outside of the initial sessions: Jenkins did not complete either until September 13, 2016—only three weeks before the EP was released. [5]
Jenkins states that the EP's name is meant to tie into their preceding album Dopamine, with drugs being something that affects one's dopamine levels. [5] Containing lyrics referencing Black Lives Matter, [6] police brutality, [7] and racism, [8] the EP's first single, "Cop vs. Phone Girl," was strongly socially conscious and politically themed. Its lyrics were based on the events of the "Spring Valley High School Incident" in 2015 when a campus police officer violently yanked a Black American student from her seat during class. [8]
The EP's cover art, inspired by Salvador Dalí's Un Chien Andalou , was a collaboration between Jenkins and photographer Travis Shinn. [9]
The EP's first single—"Cop vs. Phone Girl"—was released on July 25, 2016 [8] on the heels of the band's entering the national spotlight over their comments about the Republican Party: [10] On July 19, 2016, the band played a benefit concert, in proximity to the Republican National Convention, for Musicians on Call (a charity organization). The band took the opportunity to speak out against the GOP, criticizing the party's views on science and LGBT rights; they played tracks specifically critical of Republican Party stances, including "Jumper" and "Non-Dairy Creamer." [11] The event inspired the band to release a political single. [4] [7] [12] In tandem with the announcement of the EP's track listing and release date, "Company of Strangers," the opening song on We Are Drugs, was released for streaming on September 8, 2016. [13]
The band played the 2016 iteration of Lollapalooza to promote the EP as well. [14]
All tracks are written and produced by Stephan Jenkins, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Company of Strangers" | 3:11 | ||
| 2. | "Queen of Daydreams" |
| 4:02 | |
| 3. | "Don't Give In" |
| 3:39 | |
| 4. | "Isn't It Pretty" |
|
| 4:05 |
| 5. | "Sherri Is a Stoner" |
| 4:12 | |
| 6. | "Weightless" |
| 3:51 | |
| 7. | "Cop vs. Phone Girl" |
| 3:26 | |
| Total length: | 26:26 | |||
Third Eye Blind
| Additional musicians
| Technical personnel
|
| Chart (2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 [15] | 175 |
Third Eye Blind is an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1993. After years of lineup changes in the early and mid-1990s, the songwriting duo of Stephan Jenkins and Kevin Cadogan signed the band's first major-label recording contract with Elektra Records in 1996. The band released their self-titled debut album in 1997, with the band largely consisting of Jenkins, Cadogan, Arion Salazar, and Brad Hargreaves (drums). Shortly after the release of the band's second album in 1999, Blue, with the same line-up, Cadogan was released from the band under controversial circumstances.
Stephan Douglas Jenkins is an American singer, guitarist, and the frontman of the alternative rock band Third Eye Blind. He began his musical career in 1992 as part of the short-lived rap duo Puck and Natty, alongside Detroit rapper Herman Anthony Chunn. Following the breakup of the duo, Jenkins and guitarist Kevin Cadogan formed Third Eye Blind in 1993. The band released their eponymous debut studio album in 1997, which went multi-platinum in the United States. Since then, they have released nine more albums: Blue (1999), Out of the Vein (2003), Ursa Major (2009), Dopamine (2015), We Are Drugs (2016), Thanks for Everything(cover album) (2018), Screamer (2019), Our Bande Apart (2021), and Unplugged (2022). As part of Third Eye Blind, Jenkins has received one Billboard Music Award and eight California Music Awards.
Third Eye Blind is the debut studio album by American rock band Third Eye Blind, released on April 8, 1997, by Elektra Records. The album was collectively written by Stephan Jenkins and Kevin Cadogan, while production was helmed by Jenkins and Eric Valentine. Recorded in and around San Francisco at Toast Studios, Skywalker Ranch, and H.O.S., the album incorporates elements of alternative rock, post-grunge, and power pop. Thematically, the album focuses on topics such as relationships, drug addiction, suicide prevention, and the band's experience of being signed to a major record label. Third Eye Blind was promoted with five singles: "Semi-Charmed Life", "Graduate", "How's It Going to Be", "Losing a Whole Year", and "Jumper".
Blue is the second studio album by American rock band Third Eye Blind, released on November 23, 1999. The album's creation was difficult, mainly due to power struggles and arguments between frontman Stephan Jenkins and lead guitarist Kevin Cadogan, leading to a quick but isolated recording experience between members. The album was generally well received by critics, and was certified platinum by the RIAA, but performed below the band's prior album, the multi-platinum Third Eye Blind. While managing to stay together for the creation of the album, shortly after its release, the band fired Cadogan, touring in support of the album with replacement guitarist Tony Fredianelli.
Out of the Vein is the third studio album by American rock band Third Eye Blind. Released on May 13, 2003, Out of the Vein is the band's first album with guitarist Tony Fredianelli, who replaced longtime guitarist Kevin Cadogan in 2000. It would also be Third Eye Blind's final album with Elektra Records as well as their final album with bassist Arion Salazar.
Kevin Rene Cadogan is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and guitarist. A founding member of the band Third Eye Blind, he performed with the band from 1993 to 2000. He co-wrote some of Third Eye Blind's most notable hits, including "How's It Going to Be", "Losing a Whole Year", and "Graduate", ten of the fourteen songs on their debut album Third Eye Blind as well as six of the thirteen tracks on his final collaboration with the band in their second album Blue.
"Semi-Charmed Life" is a song by American rock band Third Eye Blind from their 1997 eponymous debut studio album. It was released to modern rock radio as the lead single from the album on February 18, 1997, by Elektra Records. Frontman Stephan Jenkins is credited as the sole writer of the song, although guitarist Kevin Cadogan has disputed the song's authorship through litigation. The song was produced by Jenkins and Eric Valentine. An alternative rock and power pop song with a rap-influenced singing style, the lyrics of "Semi-Charmed Life" concern a crystal meth addiction and transition periods in one's life.
"Jumper" is a song by American rock band Third Eye Blind from their eponymous debut studio album (1997). The song was written and produced by frontman Stephan Jenkins, with additional production by Eric Valentine. Elektra Records released it as the fifth and final single from the album on August 4, 1998. An alternative rock and acoustic power pop song, "Jumper"'s lyrics concern an act of suicide, as Jenkins urges for a greater amount of human compassion.
"Graduate" is a song by American rock band Third Eye Blind from their eponymous debut studio album (1997). It was released to radio as the second single from the album in July 1997 by Elektra Records. Frontman Stephan Jenkins and guitarist Kevin Cadogan are credited as co-writers on the song. Production on the song was helmed by Jenkins and Eric Valentine. According to Jenkins, the song is about the band's experience after being signed to a major record label.
"Losing a Whole Year" is a song by American rock band Third Eye Blind from their eponymous debut studio album (1997). Elektra Records released the song in Japan as the album's second single on December 15, 1997, and in the United States on February 23, 1998, as the fourth single from the album. The song was written by frontman Stephan Jenkins and guitarist Kevin Cadogan, while production was helmed by Jenkins and Eric Valentine. According to Jenkins, the song is about lamentation due to the end of a relationship.
"Blinded" (also known as "Blinded (When I See You)") is a song by American alternative rock band Third Eye Blind. It was released in April 2003 as the lead single from their 2003 album, Out of the Vein. It was written by Stephan Jenkins, Arion Salazar, and Tony Fredianelli. The song received positive reviews from music critics and peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Pop Songs chart.
Third Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1993. The group's discography consists of seven studio albums, one live album, two compilation albums, three extended plays, 25 singles, three promotional singles, and 31 music videos. The current line-up consists of Stephan Jenkins, Brad Hargreaves, Kryz Reid, Colin CreeV, and Alex LeCavalier. They have amassed worldwide album sales of over 12 million units.
Ursa Major is the fourth studio album by American rock band Third Eye Blind. Released on August 18, 2009, on the group's own Mega Collider label, Ursa Major was the group's first studio album in over six years. The first single from the album was "Don't Believe a Word", which debuted on the radio June 5, 2009.
Dopamine is the fifth studio album by American rock band Third Eye Blind, released on June 16, 2015. It is the band's first studio album since 2009's Ursa Major. Third Eye Blind worked on Dopamine from 2010 to 2015. The album's first single, "Everything Is Easy", was released on May 8, 2015, along with a cover version of the Beyoncé song "Mine". The album debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard 200, selling over 21,000 copies in its first week.
Symphony of Decay is an EP by American alternative rock band Third Eye Blind. The EP started off under the working title Black as a companion to their platinum selling 1999 album Blue. Its creation was a result of a compromise over the release method of the track "Slow Motion"; the band had wanted it on Blue, while their record label, Elektra Records, opposed its inclusion on such a high-profile full-length album release due to its controversial lyrics. The EP would go through years of delays for a multitude of reasons, including extensive touring, prioritizing the completion of their third studio album Out of the Vein, and complications arising from parting ways with Elektra in 2004. The EP itself was never collectively released, though many of the tracks were eventually released elsewhere.
Ursa Minor is an unreleased studio album by American alternative rock band Third Eye Blind. Initially conceived as the second part of a double album to their 2009 release Ursa Major, the album was delayed, and eventually shelved, due to legal issues between frontman Stephan Jenkins and then-guitarist of the band Tony Fredianelli. The subsequent re-staffing the band with mostly new members in 2011 and 2012 led Jenkins to shy away from releasing the material, stating that it no longer represented the current band lineup - though comments from as recent as 2015 have alluded to releasing some of the music online eventually as well.
"Cop vs. Phone Girl" is a song by American rock band Third Eye Blind from their second extended play, We Are Drugs (2016). It was released as the lead single from the extended play on July 25, 2016, by MegaForce Records. The song addresses the issues of racism and police brutality, specifically focusing on a 2015 incident at South Carolina's Spring Valley High School.
Thanks for Everything is an EP by Third Eye Blind. It consists of seven cover songs and was released on August 24, 2018.
Screamer is the sixth studio album by the American alternative rock band Third Eye Blind. It was released on October 18, 2019 by Mega Collider Records.
Our Bande Apart is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band Third Eye Blind. It was released on September 24, 2021.
