Canadian Indie Rock Supergroup New Pornographers Reveal New Album 'The Former Site Of' After Traumatic Experience
After a three-year hiatus and the arrest of their drummer Joe Seiders on child pornography charges, the New Pornographers are finally returning with their new LP 'The Former Site Of'. The album is set to drop on March 27, accompanied by the release of lead single "Votive".
The band's core lineup of Neko Case, John Collins, Carl Newman, Todd Fancey, and Kathryn Calder remains intact. Although drummer Joe Seiders has been let go after being arrested, he was temporarily replaced during the recording process with session drummer Charley Drayton.
According to an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone in November 2025, lead vocalist Carl Newman expressed his intentions for this new record: "This new record was just going farther down a path I wanted to go to on [2023’s] Continue as a Guest...". He elaborated that he aimed to make life more interesting and create a narrative-driven album.
However, the process was marred by trauma when Seiders' arrest hit the news in April 2025. The band fired him immediately, erased his work from the album, and brought in Drayton to redo the tracks. Newman described it as "dark, weird, and confusing," stating that he was afraid for their children's safety.
For a moment, they even considered changing their name, but a friend intervened, reminding them of the hard work invested into building their iconic moniker. The New Pornographers will kick off an extensive U.S. tour on April 22 in Boston, wrapping up May 21 in Washington, D.C., accompanied by Will Sheff from Okkervil River.
The album features ten short stories of people at personal and societal extremes, with each track showcasing the band's signature blend of indie rock and narrative storytelling.
After a three-year hiatus and the arrest of their drummer Joe Seiders on child pornography charges, the New Pornographers are finally returning with their new LP 'The Former Site Of'. The album is set to drop on March 27, accompanied by the release of lead single "Votive".
The band's core lineup of Neko Case, John Collins, Carl Newman, Todd Fancey, and Kathryn Calder remains intact. Although drummer Joe Seiders has been let go after being arrested, he was temporarily replaced during the recording process with session drummer Charley Drayton.
According to an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone in November 2025, lead vocalist Carl Newman expressed his intentions for this new record: "This new record was just going farther down a path I wanted to go to on [2023’s] Continue as a Guest...". He elaborated that he aimed to make life more interesting and create a narrative-driven album.
However, the process was marred by trauma when Seiders' arrest hit the news in April 2025. The band fired him immediately, erased his work from the album, and brought in Drayton to redo the tracks. Newman described it as "dark, weird, and confusing," stating that he was afraid for their children's safety.
For a moment, they even considered changing their name, but a friend intervened, reminding them of the hard work invested into building their iconic moniker. The New Pornographers will kick off an extensive U.S. tour on April 22 in Boston, wrapping up May 21 in Washington, D.C., accompanied by Will Sheff from Okkervil River.
The album features ten short stories of people at personal and societal extremes, with each track showcasing the band's signature blend of indie rock and narrative storytelling.
They're back with a new album! I guess you could say they've been through some drama 
"Votive" is out March 27... can't wait to hear it 
[Distracted GIF of a cat watching music videos]
. I mean, who gets fired from their own band due to some weird legal drama and then suddenly drops a new album just because? And what's with the trauma vibes? It sounds like they're trying too hard to be artsy and deep. Newsflash: it's still just indie rock music, folks! 
I'm not buying the whole "narrative-driven" thing either - it's just a fancy way of saying "we can't figure out what we want, so let's write some songs". Give me a break! 
. The New Pornographers' new album 'The Former Site Of' seems like a testament to Carl Newman's resilience in the face of adversity. I'm intrigued by the idea that he aimed to make life more interesting with this record, and it sounds like he was able to tap into some darker emotions during the creative process 
. And I love how they're sticking with their iconic name – it says a lot about the importance of their bond and artistic identity 
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IT'S BEEN SUCH A WAIT AND ALL THOSE DRUMMER PROBLEMS WERE SO INTENSE BUT I KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO CRUSH IT WITH THIS ONE! 
"Votive" is already giving me LIFE!!! 
after that crazy drama 
... three years is a long time to be on hiatus, you feel? and now that drummer joe seiders got busted for child porn charges... it's like, what even happened there? 
anyway, it sounds like the band went through some major trauma when seiders' arrest hit the news... they had to erase his work from the album, redo all the tracks with a new drummer charley drayton... and carl newman was literally freaking out about their kids' safety 
... ten short stories of people at personal and societal extremes? that sounds so cool 
will sheff from okkervil river is opening for them too? that's a sick lineup 
I love how they went through all this trauma and came out with something so beautiful! That session drummer Charley Drayton must be a lifesaver 
. And 10 short stories, you say? I'm down for that! Can't wait to hear "Votive" on March 27th... gonna make some noise 
especially after all they went through, it's amazing that Carl Newman is able to channel his emotions into something so beautiful. the fact that they were even considering changing their name is wild, but thankfully a friend stepped in and reminded them of where they came from 
. anyhoo can't wait for march 27 to roll around & get my hands on 'The Former Site Of' 
. I hope the album brings them some healing and closure 
. The fact that they stuck to their name despite considering a change shows how much it means to them 
. Can't wait to listen to "The Former Site Of" on March 27 
can't wait to get my hands on this album on march 27!!! 
Charley Drayton's session work must've been a lifesaver for them! 
Oh man, a supergroup that's gone through some drama! Like, who needs child porn charges when you've got creative differences? 
! Can't wait to dive into 'The Former Site Of' and see what kind of weirdness Carl Newman has in store for us 
. Tour dates are just around the corner - time to rock out with Will Sheff from Okkervil River!