Always Been by Craig Finn
Always Been is the sixth solo album from Craig Finn, arriving April 4, 2025. The album was produced by Finn’s long time friend Adam Granduciel, the principal of The War on Drugs. Always Been 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. Kathleen Edwards and Sam Fender provide guest vocals. 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.
Always Been is Finn’s 6th solo record, standing alongside his nine albums with The Hold Steady. With his last solo release, A Legacy of Rentals, 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.
Tracklist
| 1. | Bethany | 5:49 |
| 2. | People of Substance | 3:00 |
| 3. | Crumbs | 3:43 |
| 4. | Luke & Leanna | 3:31 |
| 5. | The Man I've Always Been | 4:08 |
| 6. | Fletcher's | 5:40 |
| 7. | A Man Needs a Vocation | 4:50 |
| 8. | I Walk With a Cane | 4:37 |
| 9. | Clayton | 2:55 |
| 10. | Postcards | 6:05 |
| 11. | Shamrock | 5:27 |
Credits
Produced by Adam Granduciel
Engineered by Austin Asvanonda
Recorded at One Cue, Burbank CA.
Additional recording at Boulevard Recording, Hollywood CA.
Mixed by Jon Low
Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound
Management: Dave Gottlieb & Jeff Leven at Death or Glory
US Booking: Eric Dimenstein at Ground Control Touring
UK/EU Booking: Josh Javor at WME
Publicity: Ken Weinstein at Big Hassle
Digital Management: Brendan Hilliard at Juicebox Industries
Photography: Dan Monick
Design: Vance Wellenstein
License
All rights reserved.Recommendations
Craig Finn is a Minnesota-bred singer/songwriter based in New York City, best known as the singer of The Hold Steady.
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 2019's I Need a New War. Finn’s fifth solo album, A Legacy of Rentals, was released in May 2022.