Photo by C. Taylor Crothers

After a hiatus of over six years, The String Cheese Incident have announced their highly anticipated studio album, Lend Me A Hand will release on Sept. 8. This new collection of songs not only showcases the band’s remarkable songwriting abilities but also delves into the depths of their emotions, offering some of their most intimate and powerful material to date.

Lend Me A Hand–a poignant yet uplifting reflection on love, loss, and resilience–emerged as the ensemble come to terms with significant life-changing events, including the sudden death of their close friend Jesse Aratow, a member of their management team throughout most of the band’s history. During this challenging period, the band channeled their experiences into a batch of songs that revolve around storytelling, capturing the essence of their emotions.

To bring their vision to life, The String Cheese Incident collaborated with producer Brad Cook, known for his work with Bon Iver, Hiss Golden Messenger, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, and Waxahatchee. Cook’s distinct artistic vision helped the band fully embrace the album’s rootsy simplicity, resulting in a compelling musical experience.

“This record turned out to be one of our most introspective,” The String Cheese Incident’s reflected Keith Moseley. “We were coming out of the pandemic and approaching our anniversary. We had lost someone who had been an integral part of our team for a long time. All those thoughts and feelings coalesced into something that’s much more focused on storytelling and feels like sitting in the living room with us while we sing you some songs.”

While the ensemble has garnered a devoted following over the last three decades, captivating audiences with their kaleidoscopic musicality and boundary-pushing live performances, Lend Me A Hand represents a departure from their typical genre-hopping style. The band, consisting of Bill Nershi (guitar, vocals), Michael Kang (guitar, mandolin, violin, vocals), Keith Moseley (bass, vocals), Michael Travis (drums, vocals), Kyle Hollingsworth (keys, vocals), and Jason Hann (percussion, programming), embraces a stripped-back form of folk-rock on their eighth studio LP.

Despite this shift in style, The String Cheese Incident remains excited to witness the transformation of their songs from Lend Me A Hand during their live shows. They are gearing up for a spot on Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour and their official 30th-anniversary celebration later this year. Moseley expressed his anticipation, stating, “It’ll be fun to see how some of these three- or four-minute tunes open up and stretch out a bit.”

Reflecting on their future, Moseley went on to predict that their next album will take a 180-degree turn from Lend Me A Hand. The band’s unpredictable nature leads them to explore new adventures and embrace different musical directions, and the title track–also released today in celebration of the announcement–directly showcases that.

Pre-order Lend Me A Hand here.

Listen to the title track below.

Track List

Lend Me A Hand

Eventually

One More Time 

Ain’t I Been Good To You

Thank You

I Will Follow You

Love And Friends

Enjoy The Ride 

Take Me Love

Way Back When

Nobody Thought You Would