Supersuckers – “High & Outside” (audio) (premiere)

You think Stage Three throat cancer will stop Eddie Spaghetti? No way in hell. Mere days after being diagnosed earlier this summer, fans of the long-running and perpetually lovable Supersuckers have rallied behind the inimitable singer, raising more than $61,000 to date to help cover the cost of treatment.

Almost as reassuring as the love he’s received from his admirers is the fact that Spaghetti has penned one of the sweetest Supersuckers tunes ever recorded, which appears on the band’s upcoming new album Holdin’ the Bag, which comes out 16 October. Veering more towards straight-up country, “High & Outside” approaches the grace and ragged charm of Paul Westerberg while still retaining that distinct personality that has made Supersuckers such an enduring band for so long. Fans will love it.

“Remember when bands had hit songs?” Spaghetti says. “I do. It seems like there was a time, long ago, where it was possible for a band like The Supersuckers to make up a song that would be good enough to be played on the radio. Like, a lot. This would be one of those songs. It totally feels like a hit song to me. Like, when I wrote it, it came out of me so effortlessly, was such a piece of cake, that I knew it had to be good. It is that good…isn’t it? Of course it is. Perhaps the best song I ever wrote.”

Holdin’ the Bag (pre-order here) will also be available as a limited-edition gatefold CD, containing an exclusive bonus track, with all 500 copies hand-numbered and signed by founder/leader Eddie Spaghetti, with all proceeds going directly to the Eddie Spaghetti Cancer Fund.