With The Walkmen back on hiatus, Hamilton Leithauser has announced a new solo album, This Side of the Island, which will be out March 7 via Glassnote. He co-produced the album with his wife, Anna, and The National’s Aaron Dessner, who also plays on the album.
Hamilton says: “I worked on it for eight years… yes, 8. Barack Obama was president when I recorded the piano for the first song 😬. I mostly wrote and recorded it at my home studio, and the entire record is produced by myself and my wife Anna, while seven songs are also produced by my friend, the amazing Aaron Dessner. To be honest, after I worked with Aaron I remixed the other two with his input in mind, so his fingerprints are really on the whole thing! I can’t thank Anna and Aaron enough for their input, I couldn’t have finished without them. I bounced ideas off Anna for 8 years and I know I drove her insane. When I had finally gotten to the point where I didn’t know which end was up, and I think maybe Anna was thinking about throwing me out of the house, I drove upstate last Spring to visit Aaron at his beautiful Long Pond Studios. We listened through to all the songs, and he offered immediate, clear and supportive ideas that finally brought the record over the finish line.”
The album’s title track was released in December and the new single is “Knockin’ Heart,” which finds that classic Walkmen gumption coursing through Hamilton’s veins. He says this was the first song he and Aaron Dessner worked on together. “I started it with the thought that I wanted to do a power trio song like Nirvana. It is an estranged, stoned lover dying to get a message through to someone who is probably not listening. It is ‘I’ll love you for life if you’ll let me.’ There are three basses on it…one of mine and two of Aaron’s. (His idea…and a great one tbh bc the bass is absolutely banging.) It was written fast and the lyrics portray a lifelong love through time and space. I hope you give it a spin.” You can watch the video below.
To celebrate the new album, Hamilton has another NYC residency at Cafe Carlyle running 15 dates between March 6 – 29. Tickets are on sale and all dates (including a few non-NYC ones) are listed below.
Hamilton Leithauser – 2025 Tour Dates
February 10, 2025: Los Angeles, CA @ Largo at the Coronet
February 11, 2025: Los Angeles, CA @ Largo at the Coronet (SOLD OUT)
February 12, 2025: Los Angeles, CA @ Largo at the Coronet (SOLD OUT)
February 17, 2025: London, UK @ EartH
February 25, 2025: Toronto, ON @ The Drake Hotel (SOLD OUT)
February 26, 2025: Toronto, ON @ The Drake Hotel (SOLD OUT)
February 28, 2025: Chicago, IL @ Old Town School of Folk Music – Maurer Hall (SOLD OUT)
March 1, 2025: Chicago, IL @ Old Town School of Folk Music – Maurer Hall (SOLD OUT)
March 6, 2025: New York, NY @ Cafe Carlyle
March 7, 2025: New York, NY @ Cafe Carlyle
March 8, 2025: New York, NY @ Cafe Carlyle
March 12, 2025: New York, NY @ Cafe Carlyle
March 13, 2025: New York, NY @ Cafe Carlyle
March 14, 2025: New York, NY @ Cafe Carlyle
March 15, 2025: New York, NY @ Cafe Carlyle
March 19, 2025: New York, NY @ Cafe Carlyle
March 20, 2025: New York, NY @ Cafe Carlyle
March 21, 2025: New York, NY @ Cafe Carlyle
March 22, 2025: New York, NY @ Cafe Carlyle
March 26, 2025: New York, NY @ Cafe Carlyle
March 27, 2025: New York, NY @ Cafe Carlyle
March 28, 2025: New York, NY @ Cafe Carlyle
March 29, 2025: New York, NY @ Cafe Carlyle