White Denim are back with a new single, “Hired Hand #2,” the latest preview of their forthcoming album 13, due out April 24 via Bella Union. The track follows earlier single “(God Created) Lock And Key” and showcases yet another stylistic turn from a band that has made unpredictability part of its identity for nearly two decades.
“Hired Hand #2” leans into a bouncy country-blues feel, built around a stomping rhythm and loose, rootsy swagger. According to frontman James Petralli, the song was inspired in part by the satirical bite of Jonathan Swift and the wit of Roger Miller, tackling themes of denial, rationalization, and compliance. Petralli joked that he hopes the chorus is “so catchy and transcendent that the song becomes a widely misunderstood streaming hit and I never have to work another day in my life.”
Where “(God Created) Lock And Key” leaned more into groove-heavy rock textures, “Hired Hand #2” lives in a more acoustic, folky lane — almost brushing up against folk-punk in its immediacy and stripped-down energy. It’s a reminder that White Denim’s catalog has always thrived in the tension between precision musicianship and off-the-cuff looseness.
13 marks the band’s thirteenth studio album and carries layered significance. Petralli was born on August 13, and in numerology the number can symbolize independence and creativity — though it’s equally associated with chaos and misfortune. That duality threads through the album’s themes, which reportedly grapple with power, generational cycles of abuse, shame, violence, survival, and the urgent importance of family and creative freedom.
The record features core members Michael Hunter (keyboards) and Matt Young (drums, percussion), alongside original drummer Josh Block. Additional contributors include Owen Pallett on strings, Jesse Chandler (clarinet, sax, flute), Kosta Galanoupolis (bass, drums), and Dawes siblings Griffin Goldsmith and Taylor Goldsmith.
Petralli has emphasized that White Denim remains a collaborative project at its core, noting that he wouldn’t call something White Denim without significant contributions from another founding member. While he recorded and arranged much of 13, the album underscores his commitment to shared creation rather than isolation.
Musically, 13 continues the band’s groove-heavy alchemy of rock, funk, dub, calypso, soul, blues, and sunshine-pop — a restless fusion that has defined White Denim since their early Austin days.
U.S. Spring Tour Dates
White Denim’s reputation has long extended beyond the studio. They remain one of the most dynamic live acts on the circuit — known for weaving between intricate riff-driven workouts and extended, improvisation-heavy jams where each member listens and reacts in real time.
White Denim will support 13 with a run of U.S. dates this spring:
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5/28 – Las Vegas, NV @ Swan Dive
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5/29 – Wells, NV @ Schellraiser Presents: Humboldt Hideaway
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5/31 – Boulder, CO @ The Velvet Elk
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6/2 – Fort Collins, CO @ Washington’s
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6/3 – Denver, CO @ Marquis
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6/5 – Dallas, TX @ AM/FM
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6/6 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk (Outside)
Tickets and additional information are available through the band’s official channels.
With “Hired Hand #2,” White Denim continue to prove that even two decades in, their creative engine remains restless — blending sharp commentary, deep grooves, and a commitment to collaboration that keeps their sound both grounded and unpredictable.
