Grammy-award winning, multi-platinum selling rock band, SOUL ASYLUM is nearing the release of Hurry Up and Wait, out on April 17, 2020 via Blue Élan Records. In addition, the band will release a limited edition 180 Gram LP + Bonus 7 inch of the album for Record Store Day. The exclusive release features a cover of "Rhinestone Cowboy" on the A Side (a staple from their live show), and an acoustic version of "We 3" on the B-Side. “We 3” is a fan favorite from the band’s album, And the Horse They Rode In On. It was also featured in the 1997 Kevin Smith cult classic Chasing Amy.
New single, “Social Butterfly” debuted yesterday via Billboard, and is now available on all streaming platforms. While Hurry Up and Wait has the trademark rock guitar sound of classic SOUL ASYLUM, it also boasts some subtle sonic evolutions. The smoky guitars of "Social Butterfly '' incorporate a dreamy aesthetic reminiscent of The Smiths, along with indie-pop acts.
Hurry Up and Wait was mastered by Grammy-award winning engineer Emily Lazar, and certainly echoes of all the eras, and influences on, SOUL ASYLUM’s work. "Make Her Laugh" is a laid-back, Stones-inspired jam; "Freezer Burn" marries hardcore energy to supercharged melodic punk riffing; and "Here We Go" is a pristine, lovelorn song with a deeply sentimental core. Lead single "If I Told You," meanwhile, is quintessential SOUL ASYLUM: Chiming riffs, an evocative guitar solo, and wistful Pirner vocals and lyrics unite to create a vibe that's melancholy but lovely.
"I did sort of put my guard down," Pirner says. "And I was like, 'Well, this time, I'm going to just go with whatever seems to be working, and I don't really care what kind of music people want to call it.' It's a little raw and forthcoming in the way that I didn't second guess it. There's a lot of just letting it come out as opposed to trying to force something."
It helped that SOUL ASYLUM recorded Hurry Up and Wait with a long-time studio collaborator: co-producer John Fields, who also worked on the band's previous three albums.
Frontman Dave Pirner, generally considered one of America's greatest songwriters, is also gearing up to unveil his new book entitled Loud, Fast, Words, an annotated collection of lyrics with an essay about each of his albums. The book is set for a March 17 release via MNHS Publishing (Minnesota Historical Society).
