Vorige maand bracht Hamilton Leithauser een nieuwe single uit, de voorbode van een nieuwe plaat zo blijkt. ‘This side of the island’ bleek de titeltrack van een album dat uitkomt op 7 maart via Glassnote. Voor Leithauser is het de eerste soloplaat in 5 jaar tijd en de eerste sinds hij terug is gaan optreden met zijn band The Walkmen in 2023.
“Knockin’ Heart” is sung by an estranged, stoned lover on their way home, who is dying to get a message through to someone who is probably not listening. It is “I will love you for life if you’ll let me.” I wrote and recorded it one evening and put it away for over a year. I knew I liked it, and I didn’t want to mess anything up by trying to perfect it. It was the last song I played for Aaron when we got together, and the first song he helped me work on. I’d say he raised the ceiling and lowered the floor on the entire thing sonically. He actually used a funny bass technique he said he’d used on a Taylor Swift song, which I got a kick out of. I gotta say his bass sounds fantastic. Now there are three basses on it! One of mine and two of his. That is a first for me.“, vertelt Leithauser verder in een statement.