The Wants – Data Tumor

New York City trio The Wants have released “Data Tumor,” the latest single from their upcoming sophomore album, “Bastard,” which will be released on June 13th via STTT. Following their previous single “87 Gas” and an unnamed third track, the song continues to build anticipation for their first full-length project since 2020’s “Container.”

“Data Tumor” expands on the band’s post-punk foundations while exploring the tension between individuality and commodification in the digital age. Frontman Madison Velding-VanDam explains: “Data Tumor inhabits the psychological push and pull of trying to assert individuality in a world intent on commodifying and distorting it. The faceless collective of information and stimuli incentivizes the surrender of personal agency. Choices have to be made or they are made for you.”

Sonically, the track blends vintage synth textures with stark, motorik rhythms before erupting into what one reviewer describes as a “blistering guitar climax.” This juxtaposition of electronic elements with raw instrumentation mirrors the thematic contradictions at play in the song – the struggle to maintain authenticity in an increasingly artificial landscape.

Following the album’s release, The Wants will embark on a European and UK tour in the fall, with eighteen dates scheduled across cities including Copenhagen, Berlin, Paris, Bucharest, London, Glasgow, and Manchester.