War On Women announce new album and release new single ‘Messages Unsent’

Smartpunk Records and War On Women are teaming up for a big year of new music that’s as timely as ever. The band’s fifth full-length album, “Time Under Tension,” comes out on May 8, 2026. While the upcoming record fulfills fans’ cravings for thoughtful lyrics and powerful punk energy rooted in advocacy, the band also experiments with melodic genre elements from alt-rock, indie, and more. This expansion and evolution are captured clearly in their latest single, “Messages Unsent” – listen here.

Shawna Potter, vocalist of War On Women, elaborated further on the heartfelt meaning behind the track,

“This is the first love song I’ve written in a long time, certainly the first in this band. It’s about the idea that once you really have something to lose, a partner or a life you love (or in this case, my dog Rosie), then you start to care more about your own safety, about sticking around. You start thinking about your mortality, and theirs, and it’s terrifying. But even if we don’t get forever, I like the idea that love can live on.

We wanted to create a video as bittersweet and nostalgic as the song itself so we opted to revisit the first tour we did post-2020, when we weren’t sure if we’d ever get to play live music again. The joy of gathering against such a tragic backdrop mimics the songs themes of love and loss.”

“Time Under Tension” Track List:
1. Precious Problem 
2. Spun Sugar
3. Messages Unsent
4. More Than Muscle
5. Serve
6. Shapes
7. Feels Good
8. Malevolence
9. Balance
10. The Movie Fear Starring Reese Witherspoon
11. Hunger Stones

War On Women‘s band name is the band’s ethos straight from the get. For well over a decade the group has stood at the frontlines of advocacy, communication, and change, shaping songs in reaction to headlines, news pieces, and current events around intersectional communities with the intention of raising awareness and conveying a response based in humanity rather than division. 

War On Women‘s lives outside of music allow for new perspectives and understanding that not only balances intersectional perspectives, but sonic dynamics that both rage and inform. From the critically acclaimed record Wonderful Hell to performances at Download Fest Australia, Riot Fest, Warped Tour, a D.O.A song on a new tribute record, tours alongside legendary acts such as Alkaline Trio, Bad Religion, Jawbreaker, and more – it’s War On Women‘s lives outside the band that fuses their music with such passion. Vocalist Shawna Potter is an author, advocate, and Intimacy Coordinator; guitarist Brooks Harlan designs and fabricates guitar amps; bassist Sue Werner is a senior programming analyst at the Johns Hopkins Institute for data intensive engineering and science; and guitarist Jenarchy is a Rock Camp Director.