Formed in New York City in 2000, this US indie rock band initially comprised Minnesota natives Craig Finn (guitar/vocals) and Tad Kubler (guitar), both formerly of Minneapolis-based art-punk band Lifter Puller, and Galen Polivka (bass) and Judd Counsel (drums). Their debut, Almost Killed Me, was released on the New York-based label Frenchkiss Records in early 2004. The album did an effective job of marshalling the band's musical inspirations (most notably, the classic rock of mid-70s era Bruce Springsteen and Thin Lizzy) into a coherent whole, with Finn's autobiographical lyrics serving as the focal point.
In May 2005, Hold Steady made the front page of the influential New York newspaper The Village Voice. Released shortly afterwards, Separation Sunday was a concept album based around the central characters of Holly, Charlemagne and Gideon, all of which had previously appeared on Almost Killed Me. The story of Holly, a part-time prostitute, drug addict and born again Christian, and her quest for salvation through religion and rock 'n' roll, lent the album a gravitas sometimes at odds with the band's muscular classic rock. The album also marked the introduction of new drummer Bobby Drake and keyboard player Franz Nicolay to the line-up.
Boys And Girls In America, the band's debut for the Vagrant label, was released in October 2006 to a round of critical hosannas, but most crucially marked their commercial breakthrough. A much tighter, focused and melodic collection than its predecessor, the album's seamless mix of great rockers ("Hot Soft Light", "Chips Ahoy!") and plaintive ballads ("First Night") helped make it one of the year's musical highlights.
