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Jan 05, 2023 By Mark Redfern Photography by Shervin Lainez

The Hold Steady have announced a new album, The Price of Progress, and shared its first single, “Sideways Skull.” The Price of Progress is due out March 31 on the band’s own label, Positive Jams, via Thirty Tigers. They have also announced some shows celebrating the band’s 20th anniversary. Check out “Sideways Skull” below, followed by the album’s tracklist and cover art, as well as all The Hold Steady’s upcoming shows.

“‘Sideways Skull’ is a rocking song about rock and rollers,” says frontman Craig Finn of the new single, in a press release. “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.”

Longtime collaborator Josh Kaufman produced The Price of Progress, which was recorded at The Clubhouse in Rhinebeck, NY, and mixed by D. James Goodwin. The cover art features photos by Minneapolis-based photographer Alec Soth.

The press release describes the new album as such: “The Price of Progress 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.”

Finn adds: “These are some of the most cinematic songs in The Hold Steady catalog, 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 band’s last album was 2021’s Open Door Policy. In 2022, Finn released a new solo album, A Legacy of Rentals.

The Price of Progress Tracklist:

01 Grand Junction
02 Sideways Skull
03 Carlos Is Crying
04 Understudies
05 Sixers
06 The Birdwatchers
07 City at Eleven
08 Perdido
09 Distortions of Faith
10 Flyover Halftime

The Hold Steady 2023 Tour Dates:

JANUARY:

28 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg (Official 20th Anniversary Show) #

FEBRUARY:

2 – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar ^
3 - Washington, DC – Black Cat ^
4 – Philadelphia, PA – Brooklyn Bowl ^l

MARCH:

10 – London, UK – Electric Ballroom *
11 – London, UK – Electric Ballroom *
12 – London, UK – Colours Hoxton * (SOLD OUT)

MAY:

12 – New York, NY – WFUV Highline Bash

JUNE:

30 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed †

JULY:

1 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed † (SOLD OUT)
2 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle

NOVEMBER:

29-30 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl **

DECEMBER:

1 – 2 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl **

# w/Special Guest Two Dark Birds
^ w/Special Guests Friendship
* The Weekender 2023
† w/ Special Guests The Mountain Goats and Dillinger Four
** Massive Nights 2023

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