Though Mick Jagger has long made it look effortless, creating rock-and-roll music isn’t always easy. “Sometimes you have to plug a mic in, press record and plug away,” says the War on Drugs front man Adam Granduciel in a press release for the band’s 2017 album, A Deeper Understanding. The hard work by Granduciel and his bandmates paid off. The Philadelphia-based group earned a Grammy Award, rave reviews from the likes of Rolling Stone and National Public Radio, and more than a few Bruce Springsteen comparisons. The rockers behind songs such as “Red Eyes” and “Pain” captivate fans as part of the Montréal International Jazz Festival’s closing night.
