Left Hand Free

"Left Hand Free"
Single by alt-J
from the album This Is All Yours
Released 7 July 2014
Format Digital download
Recorded 2014
Genre Indie rock
Length 2:53
Label Infectious
Writer(s) Joe Newman, Thom Green, Gus Unger-Hamilton
Producer(s) Charlie Andrew
alt-J singles chronology
"Hunger of the Pine"
(2014)		 "Left Hand Free"
(2014)		 "Every Other Freckle"
(2014)

"Left Hand Free" is a song by English indie rock band alt-J. It was released as the second single from the band's second studio album This Is All Yours on 7 July 2014.

Background and composition

With its Southern rock influences,[1] "Left Hand Free" is atypical for an alt-J song, with the band themselves describing it as "the least Alt-J song ever."[2] The song, written by band members Joe Newman, Thom Green and Gus Unger-Hamilton "in about 20 minutes", was built around a riff that Newman would play during rehearsals and features an organ solo from Unger-Hamilton, while Green's performance on the song was deliberately performed "as cliched as possible," with "none of [his] personality in it."[2] Contrary to reports that the band wrote the song at the behest of their record company, Unger-Hamilton elaborated that the song was rather "the product of having fun one afternoon in the writers’ studio and enjoying [themselves]", which eventually ended up being the track that the band's American label responded most favorably to.[3]

Release

"Left Hand Free" was released digitally as the second single from This Is All Yours on 7 July 2014.[4] In the United States, it entered modern rock radio on 15 July 2014 and subsequently peaked at number two on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.[5][6] The song also debuted and peaked at number 99 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their first entry on the chart and their most successful single in the country to date.[7] On 27 October 2014, a remix by Lido was released as a single.[8]

Music video

The music video for "Left Hand Free" was directed by Ryan Staake and released on 7 August 2014.[9] It depicts a group of American teenagers doing various activities of leisure, including drinking beer, setting off fireworks, driving, and swimming in the Guadalupe River.[10] Reviewer Tim Brayton commented "Since we're never going to see a beer ad directed by David Gordon Green, this is the next best thing. The hook is unbelievably straightforward: "in the summer, sexy young people like to have fun with their sexy young friends! Pick-up trucks and getting wet are often involved!"...Some of the shots are fun and relaxed; a surprising number feel worn out, like you will after you've gotten too much sun."[11]

A second official video was also released, which features a group of young adults at a pool party.

Media usage

The song appears in 2016 Marvel Studios film Captain America: Civil War.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2014) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[12] 80
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[13] 83
Canada Rock (Billboard)[14] 5
France (SNEP)[15] 126
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[16] 91
UK Indie (Official Charts Company)[17] 7
US Billboard Hot 100[7] 99
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[18] 9
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[19] 5
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[20] 3
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[6] 2

Year-end charts

Chart (2014) Position
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[21] 34
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[22] 23
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[23] 40
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[24] 18

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)[25] Gold 500,000

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history

Region Date Format Label
United States[4] 7 July 2014 Digital download Canvasback Music, Atlantic Records
United Kingdom[26] 8 July 2014 Infectious Records
United States[5][27][8] 15 July 2014 Modern rock radio Canvasback Music, Atlantic Records
15 September 2014 Adult album alternative radio
27 October 2014 Digital download (Lido remix) Infectious Records

References

  1. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (7 July 2014). "Alt-J Releases 'Left Hand Free' Single: Listen". Billboard. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  2. 1 2 Richards, Sam (5 July 2014). "Alt-J: 'All the coolest bands are completely normal'". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  3. ↑ DeVille, Chris (10 September 2014). "Q&A: Alt-J On Making This Is All Yours, Sampling Miley Cyrus, And Soldiering On As A Three-Piece". Stereogum. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Left Hand Free (2014)". United States: 7digital. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Alternative > Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on 11 July 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  6. 1 2 "alt-J – Chart history" Billboard Alternative Songs for alt-J. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  7. 1 2 "alt-J – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for alt-J. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Left Hand Free (Lido Remix) – Single by alt-J". iTunes Store. United States: Apple. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  9. ↑ Alt-J (7 August 2014). "alt-J – Left Hand Free (Official Video) 1". YouTube. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  10. ↑ "American teens party in Alt-J's 'Left Hand Free' video – watch". NME. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  11. ↑ Brayton, Tim. "Best Shots: The VMAs". The Antagonie and the Ecstasy. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  12. ↑ "The ARIA Report: Issue 1272" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. 14 July 2014. p. 2. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  13. ↑ "Ultratop.be – alt-J – Hunger of the Pine" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  14. ↑ "alt-J – Chart history" Billboard Canada Rock for alt-J. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  15. ↑ "Lescharts.com – alt-J – Hunger of the Pine" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  16. ↑ "Official Singles Chart UK Top 100 – 4th October 2014". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 3 October 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  17. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2014-10-04" UK Indie Chart. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  18. ↑ "alt-J – Chart history" Billboard Hot Rock Songs for alt-J. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  19. ↑ "alt-J – Chart history" Billboard Rock Airplay for alt-J. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  20. ↑ "alt-J – Chart history" Billboard Adult Alternative Songs for alt-J. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  21. ↑ "Hot Rock Songs: Year End 2014". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  22. ↑ "Rock Airplay Songs: Year End 2014". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  23. ↑ "Adult Alternative Songs: Year End 2014". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  24. ↑ "Alternative Songs: Year End 2014". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  25. ↑ "American single certifications – Alt-J – Left Hand Free". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 1, 2016. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  26. ↑ "Left Hand Free (2014)". United Kingdom: 7digital. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  27. ↑ "Triple A > Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on 23 August 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
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