Hear Cold War Kids Song 'Jesse Latour' From 'Robbers & Cowards' Era

10-12-2026

(UMe) Over the last few months, Cold War Kids have been sharing songs from their earliest days, returning to unfinished material written during the Robbers & Cowards era to complete and record it two decades later.

Now, the band releases "Jesse Latour," the latest preview of Robbers & Cowards / Complete Cowards (20ᵗʰ Anniversary Edition), arriving October 30 via UMe. The expanded edition also includes six live recordings-five previously unreleased-captured across the U.S. and Europe in 2007 while touring in support of their breakout album.

Inspired by an old friend in the band's hometown, "Jesse Latour" draws on frontman and primary songwriter Nathan Willett's memories of a sensitive poet and the narrative ambition of Bob Dylan.

"'Jesse Latour' is a song about an old friend we used to know in Fullerton. He was a sweet, sensitive poet who listened to Belle & Sebastian and you just knew that the world was gonna break his heart. We were listening to Bob Dylan's 'Isis' a lot and I really wanted to write a song that had that adventure type of narrative and Jesse became our muse," says Willett.

"Jesse Latour" is one of four new completed songs, including the recently released "Loyalty" and "There Goes The Night," plus "She Can Do No Wrong"-that all date back to the Robbers & Cowards era but never made the original album. Cold War Kids returned to the material two decades later to finish and record the songs for the anniversary collection.

The expanded edition's six live recordings capture Cold War Kids onstage in 2007 during the whirlwind period following the release of Robbers & Cowards. Recorded in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Paris and Philadelphia, five of the performances are previously unreleased and include "Saint John," "Hair Down," "God, Make Up Your Mind," "Passing The Hat," "Dirt In The Ground" and "Hospital Beds." The performance of "Saint John" recorded at the Paradiso in Amsterdam was previously released on 2008's The Paradiso Sessions while the others are being released for the first time. Together, the recordings provide a snapshot of the band as its debut album was taking hold and its audience rapidly expanding.

The anniversary edition will be available as a 2LP on black vinyl or limited-edition Brick Red vinyl, both with alternate and new artwork, and 2CD.

A special Digital Deluxe Edition will feature a newly reimagined version of "Hang Me Up to Dry" by Phantogram, available to stream now. Phantogram transforms one of Cold War Kids' signature songs with their trademark heavy electro beats, layered atmospherics, and bewitching vocals, bringing new dimension to the track. The collaboration offers a first glimpse at another chapter of the 20th anniversary celebration, with more artist reinterpretations of songs from Robbers & Cowards coming in 2027.