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Sep 23, 2021 By Caleb Campbell

Long-running Raleigh indie rock band The Connells first made their name in the ‘80s, coming up with fellow college rock contemporaries like R.E.M. and Pylon. Though the band has been active all this time, tomorrow they end their 20-year recording hiatus with their eighth full-length record, Steadman’s Wake. Their latest effort reintroduces the band with their newest members and their first new material in decades. The band already shared “Really Great” and the title track and today they’re back with one final taste of the record, “Song for Duncan,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Song for Duncan” is a tribute to songwriter Mike Connell’s son, which sees the band letting their typically catchy jangly pop settle into a dense rhythmic atmosphere. Bolstered by swelling strings and pensive melodies, Connell’s emotive vocal performance stands as the centerpiece. Altogether, the band crafts a touching portrait of parenthood and a universal plea for the future一“Please be open / Please be grateful / Please be everything you got / Please be ready / Please be able / Please be everything I’m not.”

Connell says of the song, “There are two songs on Steadman’s Wake about my sons, ‘Fading In’ and ‘Song For Duncan.’ With ‘Song for Duncan’ the challenge was to write something that captured something essential about this child – who is no longer a child - without getting too syrupy and maudlin. It’s a poor man’s ‘Father and Son,’ with a twist – ‘please be everything I’m not…’”

Check out the song below and watch for Steadman’s Wake, out September 24th via Black Park/Missing Piece Records.