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 The Hold Steady's Craig Finn, right, says each member of the band -- keyboardist Franz Nicolay, drummer Bobby Drake, bassist Galen Polivka and lead guitarist Tad Kubler -- bring something to the songwriting process. The rockers will be introducing several new songs during their Canadian tour. |
Life as a musician has its ups and downs.
But The Hold Steady's Craig Finn knows how to stay positive.
"I just remember that I've had a lot worse jobs than this," explains the 38-year-old singer-guitarist of the beloved Brooklyn guitar-rock outfit.
"That's really the best way to explain it. I understand how blessed I am to be able to do what I do.
"And it's not just me. We all do."
Of course, if you've seen the band play -- or watched their recent live DVD A Positive Rage -- you already knew that.
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A Hold Steady gig is almost always a sweat-soaked (and often beer-soaked) communal celebration of the many splendours of classic rock 'n' roll, from the thundering power-chord riff and the pounding drumbeat to the singalong chorus.
And somehow, it's made even sweeter by the fact that the balding, bespectacled and foghorn-voiced Finn looks and sounds more like a guy who could fix your computer than one who can rock your world.
But rock it he does -- musically and lyrically.
While the band's four albums, including their 2006 breakthrough Boys and Girls in America and last year's Stay Positive, are hearty servings of '70s bar-band rock anthems reminiscent of The Replacements and Bruce Springsteen, Minneapolis-born Finn's complex narratives usually run deeper and darker than typical pop-music piffle, with recurring characters trying to escape a downward spiral of drugs, violence, religion and parties gone tragically wrong.
After nearly a year on the road and a few weeks off, the band -- Finn, lead guitarist Tad Kubler, keyboard player Franz Nicolay, bassist Galen Polivka and drummer Bobby Drake -- had just started writing songs for their next album when we talked to their frontman about their upcoming Canadian tour, his characters and his own dark inspirations.
Tell me about your new songs.
There's not much to say just yet. We just kinda started writing this week, really. We'll be writing this month and maybe playing some new music when we come to Canada. I don't know how much. But I definitely hope we can use that tour to debut some stuff.
How do you guys write? Is everybody in the room jamming, or are you coming in with songs partially done, or what?
Everyone is walking in with different parts and ideas for songs. And then I'll have a whole bunch of lyrics that I'll look through and figure out what fits best with each piece we're working on.
Are you constantly writing?
Yeah, I try to write every day. And if I write for an hour each day, I might get one or two lines out of that. But it's a matter of trying to be disciplined.
It will be nice to have you back in Canada. But I notice you're playing small venues when you could be filling bigger places. Is that intentional?
No. But I think it's good to come back to Canada and show people what we do best, which is that real intimate barnburner kind of live show. We'll reintroduce what we do in our most normal state.
Last time I talked to you was before you were famous and you weren't used to people recognizing you in public. How about now?
Since that time, we've been around the world. But I still have some trouble in that regard. I'm still getting used to the idea -- especially with all the blogs these days -- that all the world is a stage.
You got famous later in life than a lot of people -- especially in rock 'n' roll. Do you think that's made it easier or harder to deal with?
Easier -- I think everything is kind of easier when you're older. You come into it with a maturity you might not have otherwise.
Your voice has come a long way over the last couple of albums. I read you took singing lessons a while ago. Are you still trying to improve as a singer?
I took a couple of lessons when I was doing Stay Positive, mostly to strengthen my voice because we had long days in the studio. So that allowed me to sing more. I haven't continued the lessons, but I've continued to use the techniques I learned. So yeah, I think my voice will continue to improve. And I'd like to have the option to use more melody.
You've used many of the same characters in your songs for years. Is that going to continue, or are you getting tired of them?
It's come to the point where sometimes, the best way I have to say something is to use one of those characters. I like the idea of it. I'm not sure of how I'm going to use them exactly, but I would expect to see them. To me, they're also kind of a way to reward long-time listeners. People want to know what's next or what happens to them.
What have you been listening to lately?
I've gone through a phase of Warren Zevon and Steve Earle lately -- just kind of rediscovering that kind of classic songwriting.
Zevon and Earle can both be pretty dark guys.
Well, a lot of my favourite songwriters are.