Andrew W.K. Releases "Temptation To Exist" Album

Andrew W.K. has released Temptation to Exist, a 10-track instrumental album, his first new record since 2021's God Is Partying. The album is out now.

The release marks a significant shift in sound. Where Andrew W.K. built his name on high-energy hard rock, Temptation to Exist is an instrumental jazz-noir record built around piano, brass, woodwinds, cello, percussion, vibraphone, organ, and synthesizers. There are no anthems here. The album runs through 10 tracks: "Michael's Theme," "Nightmares," "Edge of Interior," "Between Veils," "No Clue," "Manhattan Beach," "North Hollywood," "Double Boulevard," "For Steven," and "Insomnia."

Andrew W.K. produced and mixed the album himself and plays piano, guitar, bass, drums, percussion, organ, celeste, vibraphone, keyboards, synthesizers, and vocals throughout. Three collaborators appear on the record: Nick Lane on trombone and bass trombone; Gabe Noel on cello and bass harmonica; and Ryan Tharayil on alto saxophone, flute, and clarinet. Tharayil also served as assistant engineer.

Engineering was handled by Andy Petr, with mixing assistance from Petr as well. Mastering was done by Howie Weinberg, who has worked on several of Andrew W.K.'s previous albums. Steev Mike is credited as Executive Producer. Creative direction came from Frank Vierti and Phem C. Palmer, with cover photography by Herb Maximo.

The album was recorded and mixed at two Los Angeles studios: Valentine Studios and Lobrutto Visuals/R.C.U. Audio West.

What Is on Temptation to Exist and How Does It Connect to Andrew W.K.'s Catalog

Andrew W.K. released his debut album I Get Wet in 2001. "Party Hard," the lead single from that record, became the track most associated with his name and his persona as the self-described King of Partying. Over the following two decades he released several more albums, with God Is Partying arriving in 2021. According to the press release, God Is Partying appeared on multiple year-end metal lists, including being named the number one metal album of 2021 by MetalSucks writer Vince Neilstein, and earned placements on Metal Hammer writers' best-of lists that same year.

Temptation to Exist does not continue in that direction. Five years after God Is Partying, Andrew W.K. has moved into instrumental territory that pulls from jazz and cinematic composition rather than metal or rock. For listeners who know him only from "Party Hard," this will be a different experience entirely. For listeners who followed his later work and noticed the darker, more psychologically complex direction of God Is Partying, the new album takes that inward turn further, just through a completely different musical vocabulary.

There are no announced tour dates in this release. No upcoming shows, live dates, or supporting tour have been listed at this time. If Andrew W.K. announces Los Angeles dates, we will update this article. In the meantime, check our [events calendar](/events) for local shows from artists in the community.

Who Produced Temptation to Exist and Where to Stream It

Andrew W.K. produced and mixed the album himself, continuing a pattern of hands-on creative control that has defined much of his recorded output. Howie Weinberg, a mastering engineer whose career spans decades and hundreds of major releases, handled the mastering. The album was recorded entirely in Los Angeles.

The album is available to stream now. No specific streaming platform links were included in the release materials, but the record can be found by searching Andrew W.K. on major platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal.

For independent artists watching this campaign, the production setup here is worth noting. Andrew W.K. recorded and mixed this album himself at two LA studios, performed nearly every instrument on it, and brought in three additional musicians for specific parts. That kind of concentrated creative and technical ownership, built up over more than 25 years in the industry, is something artists can work toward from the beginning. Keeping production in-house and maintaining clear authorship over your sound gives you the flexibility to move in a completely different direction when you are ready, without waiting on label approval or external producers to catch up with where your head is at. If you are working on your own releases and want to share them with the SDFTP community, head to our [submissions page](/submit).