Next month marks the arrival of a new album from veteran indie rockers The Hold Steady. Their eighth overall, Open Door Policy is being previewed today with a song called “Heavy Covenant”.
The follow-up to lead single “Family Farm”, this new cut carefully folds in layers of bright synths, rich horns, and driving percussion in such a way that holds your anticipation. And then there’s frontman Craig Finn’s fascinating tale of travel — one that’s simultaneously dark and funny.
In a statement, Finn said the track is about “travel, technology, and human connection. The song came out of two different music pieces that THS piano/keyboardist Franz Nicolay brought in, and with the help of producer Josh Kaufman, we combined them.”
“It came together quickly, and when our friends Stuart and Jordan came in and added the horns to the chorus it really seemed to bring it together,” he added. “To us, this song is a great indication of where the band’s sound is at in 2021.”
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Stream “Heavy Covenant” below. Open Door Policy, which follows 2019’s Thrashing Thru the Passion, officially drops February 19th via the band’s Positive Jams label.
Late last year, The Hold Steady released a 10th anniversary reissue of Heaven is Whenever. It featured a load of bonus material, including previously unreleased songs like “Separate Vacations”.
