PRODUCED BY THE WAR ON DRUGS’ ADAM GRANDUCIEL
FEATURING BACKING FROM MEMBERS OF THE WAR ON DRUGS WITH GUEST VOCALS BY KATHLEEN EDWARDS AND SAM FENDER
“Craig Finn and The War On Drugs are a super team on ‘Always Been’
UPROXX
“An auspicious moment to check back in on the New York yarn-spinner’s own plot development.”
MOJO (4 Stars)
ON TOUR NOW AS SPECIAL GUEST SUPPORTING BOB MOULD THROUGH TO APRIL 18
Craig Finn has released his eagerly awaited new solo album Always Been (Tamarac Recordings/Thirty Tigers) today, available now digitally as well as on CD, standard vinyl, and limited-edition colored vinyl. Produced by GRAMMY® Award-winner Adam Granduciel (The War On Drugs) at his studio in Burbank, CA and mixed by 3x GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer Jonathan Low (Taylor Swift, The National, Hurray For The Riff Raff), Always Been features musical performances by Granduciel and other members of The War on Drugs, as well as guest vocals by Kathleen Edwards and Sam Fender. Always Been marks the sixth LP in a solo discography that sits alongside Finn’s finest work as frontman and vocalist of The Hold Steady.
Always Been was initially announced with the album’s first single, “People Of Substance,” which Rolling Stone hailed as “vintage Finn in many ways, especially when it comes to the musician’s distinct vocal delivery and lyrics as he sings from the perspective of a flailing guy trying to make good, while also looking for excuses,” and noted that “the track bears the sprawling, shimmering sonic hallmarks of Always Been producer, Adam Granduciel of the War on Drugs (though not without a little bit of old punk grit).” Finn then released album opener “Bethany” as well as Lousy With Ghosts, a limited-edition 92-page companion book that features 11 works of fiction by Craig Finn. These stores take place in the same universe as the record, giving deeper looks at the characters within.
Finn is currently celebrating the release of Always Been with a wide-ranging US tour as special guest supporting Bob Mould. On May 30, Finn and his band, People of Substance, will be performing a special hometown show at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom. For this one-off performance, he put together an allstar group featuring Robbie Bennett, Nelson Devereaux, Kathleen Edwards, Adam Granduciel, Dave Hartley, Josh Kaufman, Joe Russo, and more. Kathleen Edwards will open the show.
CRAIG FINN – TOUR 2025
APRIL
7 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre*
8 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom*
9 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory*
11 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater*
12 – Fort Collins, CO – Washington’s*
14 – Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room*
15 – Maquoketa, IA – Codfish Hollow Barn*
16 – Madison WI – Majestic Theatre*
18 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall*
* w/ Bob Mould
MAY
30 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
Tracklist:
Bethany
People of Substance
Crumbs
Luke & Leanna
The Man I’ve Always Been
Fletcher’s
A Man Needs a Vocation
I Walk With a Cane
Clayton
Postcards
Shamrock (digital only)
PURCHASE/STREAM ALWAYS BEEN
ABOUT CRAIG FINN:
Craig Finn is a Minnesota-bred singer/songwriter based in New York City, best known as the singer of The Hold Steady. Finn spent the ‘90’s leading Minneapolis indie band Lifter Puller, which released three albums and an EP. After relocating to New York, he joined with Lifter Puller member Tad Kubler to form The Hold Steady in 2003. The Hold Steady quickly achieved critical acclaim and a worldwide fanbase with their unique pairing of dense lyrical narratives with big rock guitars. The Hold Steady’s ninth album, The Price Of Progress, was released in March 2023, commemorating the band’s 20th anniversary.
Finn released his first solo album in 2012 with three additional solo LPs put forth from 2015-2019 – Faith in the Future, We All Want The Same Things, and I Need a New War – which coalesced into a sign-of-the-times musical trilogy. Finn’s fifth solo album, A Legacy of Rentals, was released in May 2022 to great acclaim and landed on numerous year-end Best Of lists. Pitchfork praised A Legacy of Rentals: “The writing remains the main attraction in Finn’s work, and both as a storyteller and a rock songwriter, he has never sounded more in control. From the beginning, he had a gift for meticulous, vivid world-building, and his wordplay has gotten tighter as his subjects have come down to earth.”
Finn’s debut book, I Can’t Keep Saying Thank You, a collection of his song lyrics, was also released in 2019. A double album of B-sides/outtakes, All These Perfect Crosses, was released in 2021 accompanied by a limited-edition graphic novel/comic book.
That’s How I Remember It is Craig Finn’s podcast series, launched in 2022. Co-produced and distributed by Talkhouse, the podcast series examines the connection between memory and creativity. Each episode features a discussion between Finn and one creator – including musicians, authors, filmmakers, and more – about the role memory plays in their art. These exclusive conversations reveal the different ways each creator synthesizes their remembered life experience to tell stories about themselves and the world we live in. Podcast guests have included George Saunders, Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Lucinda Williams, Johnny Marr, Jason Isbell, Duff McKagan, Adam Duritz, Ben Gibbard, and many more.
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