Since the 1980s, The Jayhawks have been alternative-country pioneers. Gary Louris has served as the band’s principal singer/songwriter since the 1990s. The Twin Cities-based group is set to release a new album on August 28 titled Sanctuary Park. It’s the band’s 12th studio release and their first in six years. The album was produced by legendary rock producer Bob Ezrin, known for his work with Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, and KISS. Previously, Ezrin produced The Jayhawks’ Smile, released in 2000.
One single has been released ahead of the new album, “Keeping Our Heads Above Water”. It’s a song about a fight for survival while barely staying alive, hence the expression used in the title. It starts as a conversation, where the narrator is listening to his girlfriend’s concerns. She indicates personal struggles, and the narrator relates to them. The song’s first verse references Romeo & Juliet, which indicates a turbulent relationship between the two. “Romeo and Juliet, they said we couldn’t win.”
She don’t know how she can win
She don’t know where to begin
She’s looking out for a friend
She’s calling out in the darkness.
Keeping our heads above water
Trying to learn how to swim
Saying you’re all I got just to breathe again.
The Jayhawks Achieve a No. 1 on the Americana Singles Chart
The story becomes clearer as the song continues. Eventually, we learn how young they really are during this look back. They are in high school, a time when they have the whole world ahead of them.
Feeling the world and the weight of its shadow
Saying we’re too young to fight this battle
Taking all your love to believe again.
When you’re young, the struggles of the world around you are enormous. You want to believe you’re in control, but you’re not quite there yet. Looking back, the narrator can see where they had the chance to save their love. A combination of being young and naive plays a factor, as the narrator is blinded by his “basement dream.”
If I could set you free
Take you away with me
But I just drove you home
And watched you go.
‘Cause I was only seventeen
Chasing a basement dream.
“Keeping Our Heads Above Water” is currently No. 1 on the Billboard Americana Singles chart. It’s a remarkable return for the Jayhawks after a six-year hiatus. The full album, Sanctuary Park, will be released on August 28, 2026.
Photo by Frank Hoensch/Redferns