This Side Of The Island was co-produced by Leithauser's wife, Anna Stumpf, and The National guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and producer Aaron Dessner. It's a rich, slow-burn offering that builds to a full-bodied chorus. Press play below.
It appears to be the first preview of a new solo album from The Walkmen lead singer, who recently revealed in a post on Instagram that he's been working on a new record for eight years:
"Hello everyone! I am so f###ing happy to finally share a new song with you today.
‘This Side of the Island’ is a song about disillusionment, acceptance, and resolve. Yes that’s kinda heavy (and the song is in fact kinda heavy), but it’s fun and optimistic too. I’ve been working on a record for eight years now (a lot more about that to come soon), and “This Side of the Island” was the final track I wrote.
"For a little context: I used to live in the far lower east side of Manhattan, and from the 1600’s all the way up to the 1970’s the ground…the actual foundation…was built out of city garbage. They’d barge it in, dump it out, pack it down, and build on it. So I figured this was a decent metaphor for the tenuous relationship I was in when I lived there; and then more broadly, for the disappointing collective identity of the country I grew up in (the good old USA—which I still do love).
"But sadly, in the last decade I think our country has more publicly and flagrantly celebrated an ugly side that was always there, but has now redefined our mainstream character. Maybe it’s all just a facade, but the facade is real. It’s good to acknowledge it, but it’s dangerous to normalize it. The banality of evil is real, and unfortunately these days smoke and mirrors are quite powerful.
"But you can’t let the losers win! Look around and there are great people and great ideas all around us. It’s crucial not to lose sight of that. Sometimes when I see things barreling in the wrong direction, I feel a little helpless. But I am an optimist, and while I might not have any grand solutions (yet!), no matter what happens, as long as I’m breathing, I can still sing ‘I just want you to love me the way I love you.’ I actually don’t know if that’s a lot or a little, but I do know it’s true.
"This song was co-produced by myself, my wife Anna, and my Friend @aarondessner. I will have a lot more to say about their incredible talent and contributions in the future, but for right now, let me just say: I simply couldn’t have done it without them.
-Hamilton Leithauser
PS: More news Monday!!
PPS: Happy holidays!
PPPS: Maybe it’s too soon…but fuck it, I think I am falling in love with you."
Leithauser released his second solo album, 'The Loves Of Your Life', in 2020. The same year he released a live LP, which he followed up with 2022's 'Dear God', a collaborative record with Paul Maroon. The Walkmen, meanwhile, reunited in 2023 for a run of North American and UK tour dates billed as the Revenge Tour.
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