The Hold Steady Record Song for 'Game of Thrones'

Galen Polivka, Craig Finn, Steve Selvidge, Tad Kubler, and Bobby Drake of The Hold Steady.Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for CBGB Festival

The Hold Steady will record a new song for the upcoming third season of Game of Thrones, featuring lyrics by the saga's creator George R.R. Martin and music from the HBO show's composer Ramin Djawadi, Entertainment Weekly reports.

The tried-and-true bar rockers put their spin on "The Bear and the Maiden Fair," which Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss pointed out is "one of the most popular songs in Westeros, beloved by nobles and commoners alike, sung at taverns and feasts and etc." The song tells the story of a bear at a fair who woos a maiden looking for a knight, and will be released as a 7-inch vinyl on Record Store Day, April 20th (the B-side is titled "Criminal Fingers").

'Game of Thrones': Rolling Stone's Complete Coverage

"We wanted our rendition to be bawdy and a little sloppy – drunken musicians getting up on the table and jamming while the rowdy party continues around them," said Benioff and Weiss. "There was no one better for the job than the Hold Steady, and the song they delivered has been stuck in our heads for the last four weeks."

While Game of Thrones primarily uses an orchestral score, last year the show tapped another beloved indie band, the National, to record "The Rains of Castemere," which played over the closing credits of the episode "Battle of the Blackwater." No word yet on how "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" will be used in the show.

The Hold Steady aren't the only musicians to be associated with Game of Thrones, with both Coldplay drummer Will Champion and Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody slated for cameo appearances this season.

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Hold Steady Singer to Launch Microbrew

Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn is about to launch his own microbrew with the East London company Signature Brew. The beer, called Clear Heart, is a custom craft beer that will be available online and at some retail locations, and will feature artwork from Finn's recent solo album, Clear Heart Full Eyes.

"When I set out to make this beer, I was going for something with a clear taste and a full flavor," Finn said in a statement, referring to the extensive taste-testing process in finding the right brew. "Instead I got a pretty decent buzz. We had a great time creating this beer, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do."

You can watch a video of Finn chatting about the making of his beer below.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Read more »

Hold Steady Singer to Launch Microbrew

Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn is about to launch his own microbrew with the East London company Signature Brew. The beer, called Clear Heart, is a custom craft beer that will be available online and at some retail locations, and will feature artwork from Finn's recent solo album, Clear Heart Full Eyes.

"When I set out to make this beer, I was going for something with a clear taste and a full flavor," Finn said in a statement, referring to the extensive taste-testing process in finding the right brew. "Instead I got a pretty decent buzz. We had a great time creating this beer, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do."

You can watch a video of Finn chatting about the making of his beer below.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

Amazon Music and MP3 Center

Read more »