The Hold Steady have announced their ninth studio album “The Price Of Progress” — listen to the new single “Sideways Skull” below.
The Brooklyn-based band is due to release a sequel to the 2021 Open Door Policy on March 31 on their own Positive Jams label via Thirty Tigers (pre-order/pre-save here).
Speaking about the first preview of the upcoming record, frontman Craig Finn explained: “Sideways Skull is a rock song about rock’n’rollers.
“In this case, they were taken out of the game to get some rest, but still retain their dreams, discussing past glories.”
Finn continued: “We liked the powerful sound of it when [the guitarist] Ted Kubler brought him into the band, and the studio performance was especially joyful. We are happy to present this as the first look at ‘The Price Of Progress’, and even the album title is taken from this song.”
The LP will also include the tracks “Grand Junction”, “Understudies”, “The Birdwatchers” and “Distortions Of Faith” — the full list of tracks can be viewed below.
1. ‘Grand Junction’
2. ‘Sideways Skull’
3. ‘Carlos Is Crying’
4. ‘Understudies’
5. ‘Sixers’
6. ‘The Birdwatchers’
7. ‘City At Eleven’
8. ‘Perdido’
9. ‘Distortions Of Faith’
10. ‘Flyover Halftime’
“These are some of the most cinematic songs in The Hold Steady catalog,” said Finn, “and it was a pleasure to record. I feel like we’ve been somewhere we haven’t been before, and it’s very exciting for a band that’s been in our career for two decades.”
“The Price of Progress” was produced by longtime collaborator Josh Kaufman at The Clubhouse in Rhinebeck, New York, and mixed by D. James Goodwin.
Described as the band’s “most extensive album in terms of sound”, it will be released in the year of the 20th anniversary of The Hold Steady.
The band is going to celebrate the achievement of two decades at their three-day London residency “The Weekender” in March. You can find the remaining tickets here, and see the schedule below.
MARCH
10 – Electric Ballroom, London
11 – Electric Ballroom, London
12 – Colours Hoxton, London
