The Walkmen's Hamilton Leithauser details new Aaron Dessner-produced solo album, This Side of the Island

"‘Knockin’ Heart’ is sung by an estranged, stoned lover on their way home, who is dying to get a message through to someone who is probably not listening," Leithauser explains.

"It is ‘I will love you for life if you’ll let me.’ I wrote and recorded it one evening and put it away for over a year. I knew I liked it, and I didn’t want to mess anything up by trying to perfect it. It was the last song I played for Aaron when we got together, and the first song he helped me work on. I’d say he raised the ceiling and lowered the floor on the entire thing sonically. He actually used a funny bass technique he said he’d used on a Taylor Swift song, which I got a kick out of. I gotta say his bass sounds fantastic. Now there are three basses on it! One of mine and two of his. That is a first for me."

Co-produced by himself and his wife Anna Stumpf, alongside Aaron Dessner, This Side of the Island leans into a groovier, bass-heavy, modern sound in comparison to his two previous albums, I Had a Dream That You Were Mine, and The Loves of Your Life.