The Hold Steady will celebrate their 20th anniversary in 2023 with the release of a new studio album, The Price Of Progress and a series of concerts in the United States and United Kingdom. The band’s ninth studio album arrives on March 31 on their Positive Jams label via Thirty Tigers and includes lead single “Sideways Skull.”
Produced by longtime collaborator Josh Kaufman and mixed by D. James Goodwin, the 10-track LP was recorded at The Clubhouse in Rhinebeck, New York. The follow-up to 2021’s Open Door Policy “stands as their most sonically expansive record thus far, while also remaining unmistakably The Hold Steady showcasing narrative rock ‘n’ roll tales of ordinary people struggling and surviving in a modern world,” as per a press release.
“These are some of the most cinematic songs in The Hold Steady catalog,” explained frontman Craig Finn, “and the record was a joy to make. I feel like we went somewhere we haven’t before, which is a very exciting thing for a band that is two decades into our career.”
The Hold Steady will present a 20th Anniversary Show at the Music Hall Of Williamsburg in Brooklyn on January 28. Two Dark Birds opens the concert held exactly 20 years after the group’s live debut, which took place at the same venue (which was then known as North Six). A run follows featuring performances in Baltimore (February 2), Washington D.C. (February 3) and Philadelphia (February 4).
In March, the band returns to London for The Weekender 2023. Additional headlining shows are planned for Chicago (June 30 – July 2) and Brooklyn (November 30 – December 2). Check out the full list of dates below along with the new single.
“’Sideways Skull’ is a rocking song about rock and rollers,” added Finn of the second track on The Price Of Progress. “In this case, they’ve been taken out of the game for a bit of rest, but still keep their dreams alive as they discuss past glories. We loved the big sound of this when Tad Kubler brought it into the band, and the studio performance of it felt especially joyful. We’re happy to put this forth as a first look at The Price of Progress, and the album’s title even comes from this song.”
Stream The Hold Steady’s “Sideways Skull” below:
The Price Of Progress Tracklist
- Grand Junction
- Sideways Skull
- Carlos Is Crying
- Understudies
- Sixers
- The Birdwatchers
- City At Eleven
- Perdido
- Distortions of Faith
- Flyover Halftime
