Left Hand Free

"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.

"Left Hand Free"
Single by alt-J
from the album This Is All Yours
Released7 July 2014
Recorded2014
Genre
Length2:53
LabelInfectious
Songwriter(s)alt-J
Producer(s)Charlie Andrew
Alt-J singles chronology
"Hunger of the Pine"
(2014)		 "Left Hand Free"
(2014)		 "Every Other Freckle"
(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 clichéd 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] 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.[6] On 27 October 2014, a remix by Lido was released as a single.[7]

Music video

The music video for "Left Hand Free" was directed by Ryan Staake and released on 7 August 2014.[8] 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.[9] 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."[10]

A second official video was also released, which features a group of young adults at a pool party. The party is guarded by bouncers armed with various guns. At the end of the video peoples faces begin to panic and a guard is shot. A helicopter hovers towards the ground and a shootout between the bouncers and the helicopter begins, causing a panic.

Media usage

The song is played in the episode "Derailed" from the fourth season of Suits.[11]

The song appears in the 2016 Marvel Studios film Captain America: Civil War, during the first appearance of Peter Parker / Spider-Man.[12] It is also played during the final credits of the movie.

The song is used as the theme tune for the BBC television series The Interceptor.

It is also used in the Dr Pepper commercial ‘Barbershop’.[13]

The song is used close to the beginning of the first episode in both seasons of the Netflix series and is used in the first scene of the first episode of season one. Outer Banks.

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[28] Platinum 70,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[29] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[30] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming 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[31] 8 July 2014 Infectious Records
United States[5][32][7] 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. 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. "Left Hand Free (2014)". United States: 7digital. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  5. "Alternative > Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on 13 July 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  6. "alt-J Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  7. "Left Hand Free (Lido Remix) – Single by alt-J". iTunes Store. United States: Apple. 27 October 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  8. Alt-J (7 August 2014). "alt-J – Left Hand Free (Official Video) 1". YouTube. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  9. "American teens party in Alt-J's 'Left Hand Free' video – watch". NME. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  10. Brayton, Tim. "Best Shots: The VMAs". The Antagonie and the Ecstasy. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  11. "S4E14 - Suits (Derailed) List of Songs | WhatSong".
  12. Pehanick, Maggie (6 May 2016). "The Song That Introduces Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War Is a Total Jam". PopSugar. Archived from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  13. "Dr Pepper TV Commercial, 'Barbershop' Song by Alt-J". iSpot.tv. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  14. "The ARIA Report: Issue 1272" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. 14 July 2014. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  15. "alt-J – Hunger of the Pine" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  16. "alt-J Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  17. "alt-J Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  18. "alt-J – Hunger of the Pine" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  19. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  20. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  21. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  22. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  23. "alt-J Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  24. "alt-J Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  25. "Hot Rock Songs: Year End 2014". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  26. "Rock Airplay Songs: Year End 2014". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  27. "Hot Rock Songs: Year End 2015". Billboard. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  28. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2021 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  29. "British single certifications – Alt-J – Left Hand Free". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  30. "American single certifications – Alt-J – Left Hand Free". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  31. "Left Hand Free (2014)". United Kingdom: 7digital. Archived from the original on 26 November 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  32. "Triple A > Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
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