Greg Dulli has spent four decades creating music that refuses to fit comfortably into one category. As frontman of the Afghan Whigs, he helped bring a darker, soul-infused edge to the alternative-rock explosion of the 1990s. Now, with the band entering a new chapter, Dulli is looking back at his past while embracing how much he has changed.
The Afghan Whigs Were Never Typical Grunge
The Afghan Whigs emerged from Cincinnati in 1986 and found themselves swept into the wider grunge movement years later. But their sound was always different from the Seattle bands dominating alternative rock.
Dulli drew heavily from soul, funk and R&B, combining those influences with heavy guitars and emotionally intense songwriting. The band’s breakthrough albums, including Gentlemen and Black Love, established a distinctive identity built around complicated relationships, desire, betrayal and emotional conflict.
Rather than simply writing songs about right and wrong, Dulli says his work has been more interested in consequences—the emotional fallout that follows destructive choices.
“I Had to Learn How to Be a Feminist”
One of the most revealing parts of Dulli’s conversation is his reflection on masculinity and misogyny.
Looking back at the attitudes surrounding rock music during his formative years, the musician acknowledges that he had to evolve. His comments suggest a willingness to examine the male ego and the attitudes that were once normalized within parts of the rock world.
That self-reflection has become an important part of Dulli’s later work. Instead of simply reproducing the provocative persona associated with his younger years, he appears increasingly interested in understanding how people—and particularly himself—change with age.
A Band That Has Learned to Change
The Afghan Whigs have now been together, in various forms, for around 40 years. Their journey has included breakups, reunions, personal losses and significant changes in the music industry.
The band reunited in the early 2010s after its original run ended in 2001. Since then, it has released several albums while continuing to develop rather than simply recreate its 1990s sound.
Dulli’s philosophy is increasingly centered on adaptation. For him, survival—whether personal, creative or musical—means accepting that circumstances will inevitably change.
Soft Control Marks a New Chapter
That approach is particularly evident in the Afghan Whigs’ latest album, Soft Control, released August 21, 2026, through Royal Cream/BMG. The record arrives as the group celebrates its long history while exploring a more mature musical perspective.
Rather than attempting to recreate the aggression of their 1990s peak, the album explores vulnerability, aging, relationships and self-definition. Critics have noted the record’s movement between soul, atmospheric rock, acoustic textures and heavier passages.
