According to vocalist/guitarist Dave Pirner, making Soul Asylum's twelfth studio full-length, Hurry Up And Wait, was a completely seamless, enjoyable and productive experience. Co-produced with John Fields—and recorded at Minneapolis' Nicollet Studios, the same place where the celebrated rock band recorded seminal early albums released on Twin/Tone Records—the album reflects Soul Asylum's usual eclectic approach.

Lyrically, songs dive into topics such as grappling with emotional and geographic disconnection, navigating romantic ebbs and flows, and the power of embracing optimism despite it all. Sonically, Hurry Up And Wait features thrashing songs indebted to punk ("Hopped Up Feelin'") and classic rock ("Got It Pretty Good"), folk-influenced pop-rock ("Silly Things"), and gorgeous jangle-pop (lead single "If I Told You").

Soul Asylum initially formed in the early '80s under the name Loud Fast Rules when Pirner was still in high school, and became part of the celebrated Minneapolis local music scene alongside fellow indie bands the Replacements and Hüsker Dü. This success led to the band entering the major-label mainstream with 1988's Hang Time and its 1990 follow-up, And the Horse They Rode In On, before achieving a commercial breakthrough with 1992's triple platinum Grave Dancers Union. That album spawned several international hits, including "Runaway Train," which won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song, and "Black Gold," and led to steady alternative radio and MTV airplay.

Soul Asylum continued to enjoy mainstream success with 1995's platinum-certified Let Your Dim Light Shine, which featured the hit "Misery," and 1998's Candy from a Stranger. Since returning to action with 2006's The Silver Lining, the band—which also includes drummer Michael Bland, lead guitarist Ryan Smith and bassist Winston Roye—has recorded steadily, and become a reliable presence on the road.