Forty years in, and Greg Dulli is still finding new shadows to wrestle with. The Afghan Whigs have just released “Duvateen,” a piano-driven anthem via Royal Cream/BMG that finds the band in one of their most dynamic moods in recent memory — equal parts cinematic grandeur and existential gut-punch.

The title itself is a sly bit of behind-the-scenes poetry. Duvateen is the light-manipulating fabric used on film sets to shape darkness, and here it becomes a stand-in for mortality — that ever-present shadow flickering at the edges of everyday life.

“When I finished ‘Duvateen,’ it felt like my life passing before my eyes,” Dulli said of the track. “The references to the teacher chasing me down the hall reminded me of my childhood. Digging a hole was an obvious allusion to a grave. I’m at a precipice in life where I can look behind and clearly see the forest of my youth, but I can also see the path to the other side. And it’s going to inform what I do for the rest of my days.”

Watch the official visualizer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMYA5twrlgs

“Duvateen” arrives hot on the heels of “House of I,” the band’s first new music since 2022, which earned heavy praise from Rolling Stone, SPIN, Pitchfork, and a long list of others. Together, the two singles are laying the groundwork for a new Afghan Whigs album due later this year — with more details promised soon.

And the timing couldn’t be better, because the Whigs are hitting the road this weekend for a 21-date North American headline tour celebrating their 40th anniversary, with Mercury Rev joining as special guests. The run kicks off April 25 at Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, NY, and wraps May 24 at the legendary Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown, CA, with stops in Boston, D.C., New York, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles along the way. A UK run follows in September, hitting Leeds, Nottingham, Glasgow, Manchester, London, and Brighton.

“40 years later, I still get to do the thing I love the most,” Dulli said of the milestone. “Writing songs and performing them with my friends all over the world. I truly have to pinch myself.”

It’s a fitting reflection from a band that has never really colored inside the lines. Since forming in Cincinnati in 1986, The Afghan Whigs have carved out their own lane — rocking suits instead of flannel during the grunge era, leaning into Marvin Gaye grooves while their peers dug for Sabbath riffs. After an initial split in 2001, the band roared back with a triumphant 2012 reunion tour and have since released three acclaimed albums in the 21st century: Do to the Beast (2014), In Spades (2017), and How Do You Burn? (2022).

“Duvateen” suggests the next chapter might be their most reflective yet — and on current form, one of their most vital.

North American Tour Dates with Mercury Rev:
April 25 – Woodstock, NY – Bearsville Theater
April 27 – Boston, MA – Royale
April 28 – Washington D.C. – 9:30 Club
April 30 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
May 1 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
May 2 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls Theater
May 4 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
May 5 – Cleveland, OH – House Of Blues
May 6 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
May 8 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall Ballroom
May 9 – Chicago, IL – Metro
May 10 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
May 12 – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall
May 15 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theatre
May 16 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
May 17 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox
May 19 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
May 20 – Los Angeles, CA – The Bellwether
May 22 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
May 23 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park
May 24 – Pioneertown, CA – Pappy & Harriet’s

UK Dates:
September 19 – Leeds, UK – Stylus
September 20 – Nottingham, UK – The Palais
September 22 – Glasgow, UK – SWG3 Galvanizers
September 23 – Manchester, UK – O2 Ritz
September 24 – London, UK – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
September 26 – Brighton, UK – Chalk

Stream “Duvateen” now, grab tickets before they vanish, and brace yourself — the Whigs are far from finished.