About the Album
New Day Rising is the third studio album by American punk rock band Hüsker Dü, released in 1985 on SST Records. The album continued the move away from the fast hardcore punk of the band’s earliest releases toward slower, more melodic material.
The band released the album Zen Arcade through SST Records in July 1984, and the label’s co-owner Joe Carducci immediately requested another album. The band wanted to self-produce, but SST insisted on Spot, who produced many of the label’s albums, including all of Hüsker Dü’s. The recording atmosphere was thus tense. New Day Rising appeared in January 1985 and featured slower, more melodic material, continuing the trend away from the fast hardcore punk of the band’s earliest releases. This coupled with the higher-quality musicianship and production led fans to perceive the band as more commercial, and the band defended themselves against accusations of selling out.
The album cover was shot at Hidden Beach in Minneapolis, now known as Cedar Lake East Beach, by band member Grant Hart.
