Deer Tick have shared their raw, powerful cover of the Bruce Springsteen classic “Dancing in the Dark,” recently recorded in the band’s Providence, RI, studio, alongside a visualizer.
“For me, ‘Dancing in the Dark’ isn’t a song about romance, but instead a desperate plea to break out of some degraded, stagnant situation. The narrator is filled with angst, self doubt, and the only way out is to the sheer force of unwavering will power,” explains guitarist/vocalist Ian O’Neil. “Bruce really shows us who he is on this one and it looks an awful lot like the rest of us.” The band’s most recent album, Emotional Contracts, was released in June via ATO Records.
Deer Tick’s fall headlining tour in support of Emotional Contracts begins this week in Charleston, SC, and includes shows at LA’s Teragram Ballroom on October 27, Brooklyn, NY’s Warsaw on November 15, and two hometown shows at the Columbus Theatre on November 24 and 25.
In addition to being named one of NY Mag/Vulture’s Most Anticipated Summer Albums, Emotional Contracts saw Deer Tick return to CBS This Morning: Saturday Sessions in August to perform lead single “Forgiving Ties,” “If I Try To Leave,” and “If She Could Only See Me Now.”
The band’s first new album since 2017 and produced by Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, Spoon, Sleater-Kinney), Emotional Contracts adds an even greater vitality to Deer Tick’s feverish collection of timeless rock-and-roll, and features guest musicians like Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, as well as background vocals from singer/songwriters like Courtney Marie Andrews, Carlton, Kam Franklin, Angela Miller, and Sheree Smith.
The LP catalogs all the existential casualties that accompany the passing of time, instilling each song with the irresistibly reckless spirit that’s defined Deer Tick for nearly two decades. Mostly recorded live–and honed down from nearly 20 songs to a concise, thoughtfully curated ten–the album is Deer Tick’s most collaborative to date, and sees all four members operating at their peak songcraft powers.
Buy or stream Deer Tick’s cover of “Dancing in the Dark.”