Hovvdy is fresh off the release of their 2019 album Heavy Lifter, their third full-length release overall. The band’s output has so far leaned towards alternative rock more often than it hasn’t, so their new single, “I’m Sorry,” is a bit of a departure from that.
Co-produced by Bon Iver and Big Thief collaborator Andrew Sarlo, the slow and thoughtful track is more focused on programmed drums and synth-led atmospherics than it is guitars. The track is about a shifting relationship, and it begins, “I’m sorry / Going under the water again / It’s often / Something I can deal with / A long walk / From my house to his / I’m softly / Going back on what I said.”
The band’s Will Taylor says of the song, “‘I’m Sorry’ is about the mixed emotions when a relationship has to change or end. Grief and relief. We were excited to pull the guitars back to let the vocals and ambient textures shine. The clank and swing of the programmed drums create a resonance and energy that brings it all together.”
Hovvdy hasn’t announced that they have a new album on the way, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see a new one come in 2020, as Heavy Lifter also arrived about a year after its predecessor, 2018’s Cranberry.
Listen to “I’m Sorry” above.