Today, The Gaslight Anthem have announced their sixth studio album and first in over nine years, History Books, due for release on October 27th. Alongside the announcement comes the release of the new single ‘History Books’, featuring a guest appearance from longtime champion of the band and legendary singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen.
Speaking about the collaboration, Brian Fallon says: “When Bruce Springsteen said I should write a duet for us, I think my head exploded. It will never get old to me that one of the greatest songwriters in the world, and the voice of one of my heroes will forever be captured in a song I wrote at a small wooden desk, in October, in New Jersey.”
‘History Books’ is a heavy-hearted track about the power in letting go of what no longer serves you. “I think forgiveness is so important on so many levels, but I’ve learned that in some cases you need to cut ties with the people who’ve done you harm,” says Fallon. Rooted in lyrics that perfectly encapsulate Fallon’s penchant for gorgeously lived-in poetry (e.g. “Nights of smoke and dirty jokes/Darkened rooms with lonely ghosts/They were beautiful some time ago/But time keeps rollin’ us on”), ‘History Books’ also echoes the album’s themes of transience and transcendence. “In some ways each song is a history book – they each tell a story of the past, and all the things that we’ve left behind,” Fallon points out.
The new song is accompanied by an official music video directed by long-time band photographer Kelsey Ayres. Watch it BELOW:
The follow-up to 2014’s Get Hurt and the first release from their own label Rich Mahogany Recordings (distributed via Thirty Tigers), History Books finds The Gaslight Anthem working with acclaimed producer/engineer Peter Katis (The National, Interpol, Death Cab for Cutie) and recording at his Bridgeport, CT-based Tarquin Studios. “We didn’t have any interest in reinventing what The Gaslight Anthem sounds like,” Fallon reveals. “We wanted to stay true to ourselves but also let Peter do what he does best, which is to make things sound beautiful and sad and fun and exciting all at the same time.”
Like so many of the most essential rock bands, The Gaslight Anthem have a rare gift for finding glory in the inescapable pain of being alive. On History Books, the New Jersey-bred four-piece bring their soulful breed of punk to ten thrilling songs exploring everything from mortality to mental illness to the more precarious dimensions of human connection. In the tradition of their seminal sophomore album The ’59 Sound, The Gaslight Anthem’s sixth full-length ultimately achieves the tremendous feat of hitting every raw nerve while endlessly inspiring wildly triumphant singing-along.
Fallon comments: “When you have a band reach any level of success or popularity, that’s a gift. It’s truly a miracle to be able to do your art for a living. Having the band come this far and be able to still find inspiration and connection in our music is a treasure. We’re thrilled to be back, and we thank you for allowing us time to regroup.”
History Books Track Listing:
1. Spider Bites
2. History Books (feat. Bruce Springsteen)
3. Autumn
4. Positive Charge
5. Michigan, 1975
6. Little Fires
7. The Weatherman
8. Empires
9. I Live In The Room Above Her
10. A Lifetime Of Preludes
The Gaslight Anthem recently supported punk legends The Misfits at a hometown show in Newark, New Jersey and will continue touring the US through September-October, with more live dates to be announced soon.
THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM – US TOUR 2023
JULY
29 – Richmond, VA – Brown’s Island ^
AUGUST
13 – Washington, PA – Four Chord Music Fest
SEPTEMBER
15 – Louisville, KY – Bourbon & Beyond
16 – Grand Rapids, MI – GLC Live at 20 Monroe
19 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
20 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
22 – Columbus, OH – The Bluestone
23 – Chesterfield, MO – The Factory
24 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee
26 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion
27 – Wichita, KS – The Cotillion
29 – Sioux Falls, SD – The District
30 – La Vista, NE – The Astro – Indoor Theater
OCTOBER
2 – Denver, CO – The Fillmore Auditorium
4 – Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl
5 – Wheatland, CA – Hard Rock Live
7 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory Concert House
8 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory Spokane
^ w/ AVAIL
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