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. Out now on Hygh Tension Records (TLG)/Virgin Records, the snarling, punk-inspired single 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.”