The Hold Steady’s Heaven Is Whenever Set For Release May 4
 The Hold Steady |
The Hold Steady, lauded for the scope, depth, truth and heart they bring to chronicling the American rock myth, recently put the finishing touches on Heaven Is Whenever, their new album set for release May 4 on Vagrant Records. The album was produced by Dean Baltulonis, who engineered the band’s Almost Killed Me and produced Separation Sunday, and was recorded at Dreamland Recording Studios in Upstate NY and Wild Arctic Studios in Queens, NY, with mixing also happening at Wild Arctic.
Singer Craig Finn says Heaven Is Whenever is about “embracing suffering and understanding its place in a joyful life. The lyrics speak a lot about struggle and reward.” Piano and keys take a backseat to guitar on the new record, which also gets production help from guitarist Tad Kubler. “I really believe the album exposes new elements of the band that we hinted at on other records but weren’t able to fully realize until this one,” says Kubler. “Rather than just concentrate on changes in the instrumentation, we made changes to the song writing process.”
Recorded in several smaller sessions spread out over a long period of time, the songs on Heaven Is Whenever received the benefit of being tested on the band’s recent tours. There was also a makeshift recording booth set up on the back of their tour bus so songs and musical ideas could be documented as they developed. As Finn says this allowed them to “see what was working and what wasn’t. I believe this record benefits from us working at a more deliberate pace.”
Following the release of 2008′s critically acclaimed Stay Positive, which gave the band its highest Billboard chart position to date, The Hold Steady toured relentlessly, playing to some of their biggest audiences to date.
The Hold Steady is: Craig Finn, Tad Kubler, Galen Polivka, Bobby Drake
Heaven Is Whenever Track Listing:
1. The Sweet Part of the City
2. Soft in the Center
3. The Weekenders
4. The Smidge
5. Rock Problems
6. We Can Get Together
7. Hurricane J
8. Barely Breathing
9. Our Whole Lives
10. A Slight Discomfort
The Hold Steady Confirmed Tour Dates:
04/02/10 Fri Life The Place To Be Ardsley, NY
04/03/10 Sat Toad’s Place New Haven, CT
04/05/10 Mon Higher Ground (Ballroom) Burlington, VT
04/06/10 Tue Pearl Street Nightclub Northampton, MA
04/07/10 Wed The Linda WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio Albany, NY
04/08/10 Thu Bearsville Theater Woodstock, NY
04/09/10 Fri Eleanor Rigby’s Jermyn, PA
04/10/10 Sat The Westcott Theater Syracuse, NY
04/12/10 Mon Club @ Water Street Rochester, NY
04/13/10 Tue Beachland Ballroom/Tavern Cleveland, OH
04/14/10 Wed Diesel Pittsburgh, PA
04/15/10 Thu 123 Pleasant St. Morgantown, WV
04/16/10 Fri Appalachian Brewing Company Harrisburg, PA
05/05/10 Wed El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, CA
05/06/10 Thu The Fillmore San Francisco, CA
05/29/10 Sat Sasquatch! Fest The Gorge George, WA
06/12/10 Sat Isle of Wight Festival @ Seaclose Park Newport, GB
06/14/10 Mon La Fleche d’Or Paris, FRA
06/21/10 Mon Melkweg Amsterdam, NL
06/22/10 Tue The Forum London, GB
06/26/10 Sat Academy 2 Manchester, GB
For more on The Hold Steady see our exclusive feature/interview here.
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