Words by Ursa Gregson
The Hold Steady frontman's fifth solo LP was recorded in May 2021 and will arrive on Friday 20th May this year, via Positive Jams/Thirty Tigers.
Photo credit: D. James Goodwin
'Birthdays' is a wry and darkly hopeful indie-rock vignette. Finn's delivery of his streetwise, whip-smart lyrics is all heart-in-mouth, indie-movie-ending-credits gravitas and humour. The soaring backing vocals, strings and especially Stuart Bogie's riproaring saxophone are flawlessly placed to aid this kind of delivery, and firmly bring home Finn's themes and musical style.
“Producer Josh Kaufman and I decided early on to feature strings on this record,” Finn says, “as opposed to the wind and brass heavy compositions of the last three albums. But when we came to this song we kept hearing Stuart Bogie’s saxophone, so we got him to do this solo and he crushed it. We thought it suggests a bit of a bridge back to my previous records. This song is about family, the way we honor these connections, and how both positive and negative things are carried through blood lines – genetic traits as long-term memories. Coincidentally, it was recorded on Josh’s actual birthday.”
'A Legacy of Rentals' is out on 20th May 2022.
Finn will celebrate the album with an upcoming live run, backed by his live band The Uptown Controllers, getting underway June 28 at St. Paul, MN’s Turf Club. In addition to the new single, Finn has also announced a new run of EU / UK headline dates to take place in September 2022 - Tickets will go on sale Friday 29th April at 10am BST.
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Tour dates:
16/09/22- DENMARK - Odense - Nashville Nights (Writers Round)
17/09/22 - DENMARK - Odense - Nashville Nights (With Band)
18/09/22 - GERMANY - Berlin - Lost Evenings V (With Frank Turner)
19/09/22 - GERMANY - Hamburg - Nochtwache
20/09/22 - GERMANY - Cologne - Blue Shell
21/09/22 - NETHERLANDS - Amsterdam - Paradiso (Small Room)
23/09/22 - UK - Brighton - Green Door Store
24/09/22 - UK - London - Omeara
25/09/22 - UK - Leeds - Belgrave Music Hall
27/09/22 - IRELAND - Dublin - Grand Social
28/09/22 - UK - Glasgow - King Tuts
30/09/22 - UK - Newcastle - Think Tank
01/10/22 - UK - Manchester - Night And Day
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