Craig Finn, the frontman of The Hold Steady, has announced his sixth solo album, Always Been, set for release on April 4, 2025. The album was produced by Adam Granduciel of The War On Drugs and features guest vocals from Kathleen Edwards and Sam Fender. Finn says it’s his most story-focused album yet, telling the tale of a clergyman who follows a faith-driven path despite his own doubts. It is created to be within the themes of rise, fall and redemption.
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The first single, “People of Substance,” is out today, giving fans a taste of the album’s lyrics and what’s to come. With mixing by Grammy-winning engineer Jonathan Low, Always Been brings a a great feel to the storytelling element.
To support the album, Finn will join Bob Mould as a special guest on his U.S. tour, kicking off April 1 in San Diego and wrapping up April 18 in Milwaukee. Pre-orders and pre-saves for Always Been are available now. You can also listen to “People of Substance” on all platforms. With strong collaborations and a deep narrative, Always Been promises to be one of Finn’s most exciting solo releases yet.
In 2023 The Hold Steady shared a new rock single titled “sixers.” The song was off the band’s studio album The Price of Progress. Regarding the song, Craig stated “Sixers’ was written in the first days of the pandemic. It’s basically a song about knowing your neighbors. Two young professionals meet up in their building late on a Friday night and spend the weekend partying together. They try to find a love connection, but it’s not quite there. It’s hard to make friends when your job is so demanding.”
Always Been Tracklist
01 Bethany
02 People of Substance
03 Crumbs
04 Luke & Leanna
05 The Man I’ve Always Been
06 Fletcher’s
07 A Man Needs a Vocation
08 I Walk With a Cane
09 Clayton
10 Postcards
11 Shamrock (digital only)
