Looks like the Hold Steady are making up for lost time. When the band returned with Thrashing Thru The Passion last year, it concluded a long half decade gap since its predecessor, Teeth Dreams. We’re not going to have to wait so long this time. The Hold Steady are coming back with another full-length in February. It’s their eighth album, and it’s called Open Door Policy.

Open Door Policy was recorded in Rhinebeck, NY and produced by Josh Kaufman; it also features some guest contributors, including former Walkmen drummer Matt Barrick. “Open Door Policy was very much approached as an album vs. a collection of individual songs, and it feels like our most musically expansive record,” Craig Finn said in a statement. “This album was written and almost entirely recorded before the pandemic started, but the songs and stories explore power, wealth, mental health, technology, capitalism, consumerism, and survival — issues which have compounded in 2020.”

In addition to the announcement, the Hold Steady have shared a new song called “Family Farm.” Here’s what Finn had to say about the track:

Songs are created a bunch of different ways in The Hold Steady, but to me, our most classic songs are driving rock songs with piano breaks. “Family Farm” fits the bill. The genesis of the song was the guitar riff that starts it. Tad Kubler played a home demo for me and our producer Josh Kaufman, and we thought it was worth pursuing. At this point it had the working title “August.” We brought it to the band and Franz had the idea for the bridge. This seemed like a “scene change” of sorts, and gave the song more depth and intrigue. We recorded it in December 2019 at the Clubhouse in upstate NY, just after our annual run of shows at the Brooklyn Bowl. Our friends Stuart Bogie and Jordan McLean added horns a bit later. I was personally happy to get a mention of Van Halen’s “Eruption” in the lyrics, and I appreciate it even more after Eddie Van Halen’s unfortunate recent passing. Overall, it feels like a song that will be fun to play live — uptempo, dynamic, and a chorus with shout-along potential.

Check it out below.

TRACKLIST:

01 “The Feelers”
02 “Spices”
03 “Lanyards”
04 “Family Farm”
05 “Unpleasant Breakfast”
06 “Heavy Covenant”
07 “The Prior Procedure”
08 “Riptown”
09 “Me & Magdalena”
10 “Hanover Camera”
11 “Parade Days” (Digital Only)

Open Door Policy is out 2/19 on Positive Jams. Pre-order it here.