Photo by Adam Parshall


The Hold Steady are releasing their new record, Open Door Policy, on Feb. 19. Today, Jan. 8, the band released the second single from the record, titled “Heavy Covenant.”

“‘Heavy Covenant’ is a song about travel, technology, and human connection,” said vocalist Craig Finn via press release. “The song came out of two different music pieces that THS piano/keyboardist Franz Nicolay brought in, and with the help of producer Josh Kaufman, we combined them. It came together quickly, and when our friends Stuart and Jordan came in and added the horns to the chorus it really seemed to bring it together. To us, this song is a great indication of where the band’s sound is at in 2021.”

The band previously shared the album’s first single, “Family Farm,” this past December. Just after the song’s release, The Hold Steady hunkered down at New York’s Brooklyn Bowl for the virtual edition of their ‘Massive Nights’ run. During ‘Massive Nights,’ Antibalas’ Jordan McLean joined in. McLean also plays on Open Door Policy, as well as Stuart Bogie.

“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,” added Finn. “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.”

Listen to “Heavy Covenant” here. Pre-order Open Door Policy here.