Hamilton Leithauser announces new album ‘This Side of the Island’ and releases new single ‘Knockin’ Heart’
Hamilton Leithauser, lead singer of indie rock band The Walkmen, has announced a new solo album called This Side of the Island. He also shared a new single, ‘Knockin’ Heart’.
The New York musician announced the upcoming album on social media, saying he worked on the new material for eight years and is excited to finally be able to share it with fans.
The new album was produced by Leithauser and his wife, Anna, while seven songs were produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner. The new single, ‘Knockin’ Heart,’ stemmed from Leithauser’s desire to create a track that resembled “a power trio song” like Nirvana about an “estranged lover” who vows to love someone for eternity.
“There are three basses on it…one of mine and two of Aaron’s,” he wrote, “(His idea…and a great one tbh bc the bass is absolutely banging.) It was written fast and the lyrics portray a lifelong love through time and space.”
This Side of the Island will adopt a more bass-heavy sonic feel than his previous records, I Had A Dream That You Were Mine and The Loves Of Your Love. This also promises to enable his signature wit and political commentary to come to the fore, underscored by an overt optimism in the face of societal and personal challenges.
Working alongside Dessner, Leithauser was able to bring the record home, allowing the musician to guide with an explosive sound owed to the many instruments they include and explore throughout. Discussing the new single in more detail, Leithauser said ‘Knockin’ Heart’ was the first song they worked together on, saying that Dessner “raised the ceiling and lowered the floor on the entire thing sonically.”
“He actually used a funny bass technique he said he’d used on a Taylor Swift song,” he said, adding, “Which I got a kick out of. I gotta say his bass sounds fantastic. Now there are three basses on it! One of mine and two of his. That is a first for me.”
This Side of the Island is set for release on March 7th via Glassnote Records.
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