Is the Is Are is the second studio album by American indie rock band DIIV, released on February 5, 2016 on Captured Tracks.

Its recording, however, was plagued by various factors, including, failed recording sessions with Girls' Chet "JR" White; Smith's drug addiction and eventual arrest; controversy surrounding online remarks made by bass guitarist Devin Ruben Perez; and the eventual departure of drummer Colby Hewitt, due to his own drug addiction.

In 2013, while touring in support of the band's debut studio album, Oshin (2012), vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter Smith canceled the band's planned European tour, citing exhaustion and a desire to work on new DIIV material: "As an artist, the biggest, most important reason for me to do this is to write and create.

"[3] The sessions with White, however, proved unsuccessful, with Smith stating: "I had these glorified ideas about San Francisco and its drug culture.

We sat down in a studio and, instead of picking up a guitar and having some beautiful thing come out, I just had no idea what the fuck I was doing there and gave up before I even started.

"[4] Shortly after, on September 13, 2013, Smith and his girlfriend Sky Ferreira were arrested "on misdemeanor charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance," following an incident in which their car was pulled over by the police, en route to the Basilica Music Festival.

[9] The song "Is the Is Are" was written and recorded after Smith appeared in an episode of Noisey's Under the Influence series in May 2015, where he played a cover of Neu!

"[4] According to Smith, the album was inspired by his experiences since the release of Oshin, including his arrest for drug possession as well as the following media scrutiny he and Ferreira endured.

On the first record, we kind of eschewed pop structure – it was much more influenced by German psychedelic bands like Kluster, La Düsseldorf, Neu!

But listening to Elliott has brought me into pop structure – verses and choruses and pre-choruses – stuff that I never really found interesting before.

"[4] DIIV announced they would play a large portion of the album at an April 28, 2015 show at Baby's All Right in New York City, and continued to perform mostly new material in North America and Europe during the summer of 2015.

[16] A total of 23 further North American tour dates were planned for October and November, supported by Sunflower Bean and No Joy.

[26] Writing for Pitchfork, Ian Cohen gave the album a positive review, praising its scope and lyrical content: "Is the Is Are doesn’t engage in fantasy or open up new worlds — it builds a nearly impenetrable wall around the self.

"[23] In another highly positive review, NME's Ben Homewood wrote: "[The album] ends after 64 minutes with "Waste of Breath", which kicks from slow rumble into shoegaze wig out, steered expertly by Cole’s hammering guitar.

"[24] Drowned in Sound's Dom Gourlay praised the album despite its difficult gestation period: "Is The Is Are is a far better record than anyone could have expected it to be.