After Decades of Silence, Minneapolis Punk Icon Cindy Lawson Roars Back With a New Single “The Reckoning”

Now Streaming Everywhere

Minneapolis, MN – After decades away from the stage, Cindy Lawson—a staple of the ’80s Minneapolis punk scene alongside The Replacements and Soul Asylum—has roared back with a fiery new single, “The Reckoning” that dropped September 19 on Hygh Tension/Virgin.

It’s a snarling, cathartic track about betrayal and reclamation that lands with the same grit and urgency as Patti Smith or Sleater-Kinney. Cindy’s story is one of survival and revival: walking away from music after an industry betrayal, then reclaiming her voice years later. She began a string of midwest shows on September 19th with a hometown release gig at Grumpy’s Northeast.

Hygh Tension Records (TLG)/Virgin Records just released a fierce and fearless track that proves why Cindy’s voice has been essential to punk and indie rock since her days with The Clams and Whoops Kitty.

Via Hygh Tension Records (TLG)/Virgin Records

With “The Reckoning,” veteran punk rocker Cindy Lawson makes a thunderous return to the frontlines of the Minneapolis music scene—and this time, she’s got nothing left to prove and everything left to say. The Single was released September 19th on Hygh Tension Records (TLG)/Virgin Records, the snarling, punk-inspired song is a cathartic takedown of every manipulator, betrayer, and bad actor who thought they’d never get what’s coming to them.

A staple of the 1980s Minneapolis punk scene, Lawson shared stages—and dive bars—with local legends like The Replacements and Soul Asylum. But after a traumatic betrayal within the music industry, she walked away from it all. Writing, recording, performing—any connection to the stage felt too painful, and she left that part of herself behind. “That part of me had been killed,” Lawson says. “I didn’t want anything to do with being on stage.”

Now, years later, she’s taken that power back. With “The Reckoning,” Lawson returns stronger than ever—armed with a guitar, a voice like fire, and a new fury. Fans of Patti Smith, Chrissie Hynde, or Sleater-Kinney will hear echoes of raw rock defiance and unapologetic truth. Her band—handpicked and highly recommended—drives the track with grit and muscle, giving Lawson’s words the fierce energy they demand.

“This song is for anyone who’s been burned, betrayed, and silenced,” says Lawson. “It’s that universal satisfaction when someone evil finally gets taken down. And for me, it’s not just about them—it’s about reclaiming the part of myself they tried to destroy.”

After years of silence, Cindy Lawson is roaring back—and “The Reckoning” is only the beginning.

About Cindy Lawson

She’s an American singer/songwriter both charming and profane; a sweet and sassy mix of Ronnie Spector and Iggy Pop. Whether it’s a 60’s girl group inspired ditty, or a spitting punk rock infused anthem, Cindy gives it her all and then some.

She began her rock and roll career in Minneapolis in 1985 with the all-female rock band, The Clams. Over the years, she played in several bands in Minneapolis and New York City, but then took a break starting in the late ’90s. Cindy returned in full force in 2021, and in 2022 released “New Tricks,” her first full-length record in 25 years on Boston’s Rum Bar Records which garnered airplay on Little Steven’s Underground Garage and across the globe. 

In 2023, Cindy released a new single and video called “Don’t Come CryingTo Me” that was immediately picked for Little Steven’s Coolest Songs in the World Channel on Sirius XM. The EP “Don’t Come Crying To Me” was released on November 15, 2023, with the title track chosen as Song of The Day on 89.3 The Current. The LP landed in the top ten of 2023 local releases on Racket MN, and was listed on KFAI’s list of “Best Local Releases of 2023.” 

Two songs from the EP, “I Don’t Want You Anymore” and “Screamin’ White Jezus,” enjoyed extended daily rotation on Sirius XM’s Coolest Songs station.

Since her first ‘comeback’ show in September of 2021, she’s played hundreds of shows throughout Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Boston. During that time she’s opened for Everclear, The Dollyrots, The Dogmatics, TheSuburbs, Tina and the B Sides, The Melismatics, Mark Mallman, The Von Tramps, Run Westy Run, Colin Bracewell, Venus DeMars and All the Pretty Horses, and many more.

Upcoming shows:

Saturday, October 11

Minneapolis, MN @ SCHOONER TAVERN

(ft. Cindy Lawson, Holly and the Nice Lions, Crush Scene)

Friday, October 24  

Winona, MN @ NO NAME BAR

(ft. Venus Demars And All The Pretty Horses, Cindy Lawson)

Saturday, October 25

La Crosse, WI @ POPCORN TAVERN

(ft. Cassie Brady Trio, Radium Girls, Cindy Lawson) 

Saturday, November 1

Minneapolis, MN @ Burning Down The Hotbed Studio

Streaming and Socials

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*Huge Shoutout to Earshot Media. Check out their Website HERE.