The Hold Steady Ready New Album

The Hold Steady are getting ready to release their third album, Boys and Girls in America on Oct. 3 via Vagrant. The set, made with the help of producer John Agnello, is the first for the band on Vagrant and will feature the keyboard playing of Franz Nicolay. “The nice thing about piano is that it is such a dynamic instrument,” singer Craig Finn told Billboard.com. “It gives [the songs] more space.” As for the album’s title, it’s a reference to a line from Jack Kerouac’s On the Road. “The line goes, ‘Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together,'” Finn said. “Basically, the songs are about guys and girls, and love. It’s not a concept-type record like the last one — it’s more of a theme record.”

The band is set for next weekend’s Lollapalooza in Chicago, followed by some North American shows in October.

Here is the track listing for Boys and Girls in America:

“Stuck Between Stations”
“Chips Ahoy!”
“Hot Soft Light”
“Same Kooks”
“First Night”
“Party Pit”
“You Can Make Him Like You”
“Massive Night”
“Citrus”
“Chillout Tent”
“Southtown Girls”