Wednesday morning, Poliça shared the third single from their forthcoming album When We Stay Alive. The track, titled “Steady,” is a pared-down acoustic ballad with thrumming electronic beats overlaid. The track continues exploring themes of healing and trauma that flow throughout the entirety of their new album. The song is largely addressed to singer Channy Leaneagh’s children, an ode to motherhood and the struggle to protect both yourself and your kids from the dangerous larger world. Going further, Leaneagh said: “I see my own weaknesses looking back at me everyday as a parent and I’ve also found my strengths. Building our own family and foundation.”
The themes of survival arose from an accident Leaneagh suffered in early 2018, upon which she fell off her roof and wore a brace for several months during recovery. Despite this, When We Stay Alive is marked by a decided strength. “I felt there were many things I could look at and say, ‘This happened to me but I’m okay now. It’s not happening anymore and I got the care I needed for it. Now it’s time to rewrite the story I tell about myself and to myself,’” Leaneagh explains. On “Steady,” you can see Leaneagh’s feelings of instability: She croons, “Back in the day Momma held me steady / I don’t feel that steady,” a moment of vulnerability on the otherwise armored album.
When We Stay Alive is set for release on Jan. 31 via Memphis Industries. You can check out “Steady” below, as well as Poliça’s 2012 Daytrotter session and dates for the band’s upcoming tour.