The Afghan Whigs

Formed in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1986, The Afghan Whigs became part of the American independent rock scene by developing a blend of alternative rock, soul and rhythm and blues driven by Greg Dulli’s songwriting. Built around Dulli and bassist John Curley, the band first emerged through the underground circuit with the self-released Big Top Halloween (1988), then signed to Sub Pop for Up in It (1990) and Congregation (1992) during the grunge era, while cultivating a groove-oriented, narrative aesthetic. With Gentlemen (1993) and Black Love (1996), The Afghan Whigs refined a sound of taut guitars, soul-influenced rhythms and lyrics focused on relationships, guilt and desire, continuing this trajectory with 1965 (1998). After a hiatus in the early 2000s, the band reformed in the early 2010s and released Do to the Beast (2014), In Spades (2017) and How Do You Burn? (2022), marking a consistent exploration of dark, soulful rock regularly presented on European and North American stages.