Craig Finn is a Minnesota-bred singer/songwriter based in New York City, best known as the singer of The Hold Steady.
Craig Finn returns with a solo album produced by the War on Drugs’ Adam Granduciel. The band also play on “Always Been“, while Kathleen Edwards and Sam Fender contribute vocals. “I believe this to be the most narrative record I have made,” Finn said of “Always Been” in press materials.
Most songs concern a protagonist who pursued a career as a clergyman despite a lack of faith. The record tells the story of his rise and fall and redemption.” Finn shared the singles “People of Substance” and “Bethany” ahead of the follow-up to “A Legacy of Rentals“.
“Always Been” is his sixth solo album from Craig Finn, released April , 2025. The album was produced by Finn’s long time friend Adam Granduciel, is direct both in both music and title. As Finn says, “I’ve always been Craig Finn.” From the opener “Bethany”, a moody piano-driven portrait with a distinctive Granduciel guitar solo, to the propulsion of the first single “People of Substance”, to the vivid storytelling and character development that has marked Finn’s career, this record feels at once familiar and fresh.
Recorded throughout 2024 at One Cue Studio in Burbank, CA, “Always Been” features a host of musicians, including many of Granduciel’s bandmates in The War on Drugs. The musical result is distinctive, purposeful, and commanding. This is perhaps Finn’s most narrative record yet. It tells the story of a man who becomes a clergyman despite a lack of faith. The songs detail his rise, fall, and eventual redemption, while also shining a light to sharply reveal the other characters that populate the world he moves through.
This is perhaps Finn’s most narrative record yet. It tells the story of a man who becomes a clergyman despite a lack of faith. The songs detail his rise, fall, and eventual redemption, while also shining a light to sharply reveal the other characters that populate the world he moves through.
Receiving year end accolades from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Aquarium Drunkard and more, “Always Been” arrives as an exciting next step for this prolific storyteller and songwriter.
released April 4th, 2025
Produced by Adam Granduciel
The Fat Angel Sings 