The Avett Brothers returned with their new song and video “High Steppin'” on Thursday (June 13). They’ve also announced that their forthcoming album, Closer Than Together, will arrive on Oct. 4.
The album’s lead single is fresh, as it bursts with bubbly synths and a hard-hitting snare. “I’m a high steppin’, high bettin’/ Love givin’, I’m a love gettin’/ I’m a stranger, I love stretchin’ out my wheels,” Scott Avett sings with his raw, barely touched voice.
Midway through the video, Seth, who is dressed head-to-toe as a skeleton, hops out of the car and delivers a gorgeous monologue: “Well it’s warfare out there, folks. You’re either working for success or to be rich or — God help us, famous. Or you’re working against the clock just to stay afloat.”
Along with the album announcement, the Grammy-nominated band also released a mission statement that touches on the inspiration behind the album, the current state of the world and the band’s own experiences.
Seth wrote, “The last thing the world needs is another piece of sociopolitical commentary. … We didn’t make a record that was meant to comment on the sociopolitical landscape that we live in. We did, however, make an album that is obviously informed by what is happening now on a grander scale all around us … because we are a part of it and it is a part of us … The Avett Brothers will probably never make a sociopolitical record. But if we did, it might sound something like this.”
See the full statement here.
Closer Than Together is set to arrive on Oct. 4 via American/Republic Records.
Watch the lead single “High Steppin'” below.