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Craig Finn Is Interested In The High And The Hangover

Craig Finn
Shervin Lainez
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Courtesy of the artist
Craig Finn

Craig Finn is one of the most eloquent storytellers in music. The people at the heart of his songs are filled with emotions and often flaws. As he says, he's interested in the high and the hangover. On his third solo album, I Need a New War, the people at the heart of these songs have seen a lot, and unlike some of the characters in his band, The Hold Steady, who embrace the bad decisions, they're trying to do the right thing. How that works out for them? Debatable.

But that's the thing about Craig. These songs are nuanced. You'll find yourself laughing with a character in the first verse and on the verge of tears by the last chorus.

Craig's got a knack for geography as well, and he'll tell some great stories about touring the country, including one about the most unfriendly bar in Montana. First though, let's get into a performance of "Blankets."

Copyright 2019 XPN

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Stephen Kallao
John Myers
Since 2017, John Myers has been the producer of NPR's World Cafe, which is produced by WXPN at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Previously he spent about eight years working on the other side of Philly at WHYY as a producer on the staff of Fresh Air with Terry Gross. John was also a member of the team of public radio veterans recruited to develop original programming for Audible and has worked extensively as a freelance producer. His portfolio includes work for the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, The Association for Public Art and the radio documentary, Going Black: The Legacy of Philly Soul Radio. He's taught radio production to preschoolers and college students and, in the late 90's, spent a couple of years traveling around the country as a roadie for the rock band Huffamoose.