The Hold Steady has chosen "Sequestered in Memphis" as the first single from its next album, "Stay Positive." The Brooklyn rockers' fourth record was released July 15th via Vagrant Records. First week sales debuted at #30.
Of the new material, lead singer Craig Finn says, that he was "influenced a lot about getting old. There's less party talk. I don't think anything is a radical departure, but there are things that I wanted to talk about. I was influenced a lot [by] getting old, and attempting to age gracefully. The idea is to not wake up washed up. You want to keep progressing, intellectually."
In the past few years, the Hold Steady has built a steady following on the road, playing hundreds of dates per calendar year.
The band spent most of the tour for 2006's Boys And Girls In America writing songs for Stay Positive, which was recorded in Hoboken, N.J. and Queens, N.Y. The album was produced by John Agnello (Murder City Devils, Sonic Youth), who also worked on Boys And Girls In America. Stay Positive features guest appearances from Lucero's Ben Nichols, former Guided By Voices guitarist Doug Gillard, Drive-By Truckers vocalist/guitarist Patterson Hood and Dinosaur Jr. main man J Mascis. The Hold Steady vocalist/guitarist Craig Finn says the title is a tribute to the band's fans, who he calls an extension of their music.
"A great American philosopher named D. Boon [guitarist/vocalist for San Pedro, Calif. punk band the Minutemen, who died in 1985] once said, 'Our band could be your life.' I think that is true. But 'your life could be our band' is also a true statement. I know this because we have lived it. These are our lives. These are your lives."
The recording of Stay Positive included talk boxes, harpsichords and banjos, which the band had never used. It also features a change in vocal delivery from Finn, who took singing lessons before The Hold Steady began recording the LP.
Finn and guitarist Tad Kubler were inspired to form The Hold Steady in 2002 after they saw The Last Waltz, a concert film about The Band. Drummer Bobby Drake, keyboardist Franz Nicolay and bassist Galen Polivka were added, and the quintet dropped their Almost Killed Me debut in 2004. The critically acclaimed Separation Sunday (2005) and Boys And Girls In America followed.
Tour Dates:
Jul 21 2008 - Majestic Theatre - Madison, Wisconsin
Jul 22 2008 - First Avenue (SOLD OUT) - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jul 23 2008 - Fargo Theatre - Fargo, North Dakota
Jul 26 2008 - Capitol Hill Block Party - Seattle, Washington
Jul 27 2008 - Crystal Ballroom - Portland, Oregon
Jul 29 2008 - Mezzanine - San Francisco, California
Jul 30 2008 - Avalon - Los Angeles, California
Aug 1 2008 - Casbah (SOLD OUT) - San Diego, CA
Aug 5 2008 - The Loft - Dallas, Texas
Aug 6 2008 - The Parish - Austin, Texas
Aug 7 2008 - Chelsea's - Baton Rouge, LA
Aug 8 2008 - Proud Larry's - Oxford, Mississippi
Aug 9 2008 - 40 Watt - Athens, Georgia
Aug 10 2008 - The Pour House - Charleston, South Carolina
Aug 12 2008 - Cat's Cradle - Carrborro, North Carolina
Aug 13 2008 - The Norva - Norfolk, Virginia
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