The song was made available as a free download by the band in November 2009 before being officially released on December 1, 2009.
"Audience" had a great response from critics who saw it as a return to form for the band.
Heather Phares of AllMusic praised the song, saying that it brought the band's sound and Willett's voice "closer to the Jeff Buckley-tinged side of their music than their feisty rock".
[2] Dave Park of Prefix also praised the song, saying that he found "a latently bittersweet quality to it that adds an extra layer of humanity and relativity to the affair".
[3] Directed by Vern Moen, the video takes places on a sailboat where the band members play one-half of a couple going through their morning at sea, while subtitles show what each other is saying.