Ohio-based indie rockers LIBRARIANS WITH HICKEYS return with a brand new single that looks simultaneously back to the year of its title, “1972,” and to the band's future, serving as an early preview of their fourth album on the way in 2027. Packed with three tracks – the radio-ready Single Version, the longer Original Mix, and a special bonus track paying tribute to one of LWH's key influences, it's out August 14 on all digital platforms worldwide and up for preorder and pre-save now:
LIBRARIANS WITH HICKEYS, well-known across the US and global indie-pop scene for their charming and addictively melodic jangle rock/power pop sound, are a true jewel in the crown of the BIG STIR RECORDS roster. All three of their albums, from their beloved 2020 debut LONG OVERDUE through their 2024 breakthrough HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS BY TELEPHONE, have been released by BSR, making them one of the few whose full career arc has been handled by the label. Last heard from on the 2025 Halloween hit “Ghoul You Want” (which also took place of pride as the lead track on Big Stir's instantly-classic LP collection for the spooky season CHILLING, THRILLING HOOKS AND HAUNTED HARMONIES), LWH – singer/guitarist RAY CARMEN and guitarist/vocalist MIKE CROOKER, who also fill all the instrumental roles on their recordings – genuinely haven't stopped writing and recording since they arrived on the scene, and the Summer of 2026 brings a brand new preview of what they're working on now.
The new single single “1972” sees them back and in peak form with a late summer track ready for grilling and chilling at the beach with a heaping side of Hammond B3 organ and a light dusting of 12-string fairy dust, just like Larry Page advised. The new track's title refers to both a time and place, much like a hazy Brigadoon playing back from a slightly worn 16mm film print memory. “1972” is a melodic tribute to both Ray Carmen’s late sister Cathy and to early '70s AM radio, a time when DJs played rock, pop, country, gospel and novelty numbers back-to-back and thought nothing of it. You can't live there, but it's nice to visit every once in a while, and there can be no better tour guides than our LIBRARIANS.
The single features two versions of the new tune, one for radio (where the band is a staple of the indie pop airwaves worldwide) and one presenting the track as it will appear on the fourth LIBRARIANS WITH HICKEYS album, already well underway and anticipated as a 2027 release. They're also bundled with an exclusive bonus track: a cover of Game Theory's "24," a foundational track for guitarist Mike Crooker. "The song '24' holds a dear spot in my heart as I first heard it on the Enigma Variations compilation in 1985 while in college. It immediately became a staple of my radio show and then mixtapes I made for my then girlfriend, now wife, which must have worked, as we're still together after 40+ years!" It's another look back (and another numerically-titled tune) that shows LIBRARIANS WITH HICKEYS, as always, musically inhabiting the past and future in equal measures, and moving forward with tunes that are timeless in every sense of the word.