Craig Finn shares new single
Single release: Out now
Label: Partisan Records
More info: Craig Finn website
Craig Finn will celebrate his upcoming European and U.S. tour with the release of “It’s Never Been A Fair Fight,” available now on Partisan Records along with an acoustic version of the song as its B-side. A powerful live performance video of “It’s Never Been A Fair Fight” filmed earlier this year at a special concert performance at Brooklyn, NY’s Murmrr Theatre can be seen online. Finn has also announced a one-off instore at London's Rough Trade East on October 18th. This event is free entry, with the option to pre-order an album and ticket, ready and waiting to collect on the day.
LISTEN TO “IT’S NEVER BEEN A FAIR FIGHT”
WATCH “IT’S NEVER BEEN A FAIR FIGHT (LIVE AT THE MURMRR THEATRE)”
“It’s Never Been A Fair Fight” precedes a range of upcoming live dates surrounding Finn’s acclaimed new solo album, I Need A New War. The tour – which sees Finn backed by his touring band, The Uptown Controllers – begins October 11th at Exchange in Bristol, England and reaches the U.S. November 1st at Austin, TX’s Cactus Cafe Presents at the Texas Union Theater.
“‘It’s Never Been A Fair Fight’ is about the extreme difficulty of staying true to the rigid rules of a subculture as you get older,” says Finn. “The character in the song revisits an old peer and finds struggle and disappointment in the place he left behind. I’ve always really loved this song, and people seemed to connect with it on my acoustic tour with Brian Fallon. Excited to be sharing the full band version with the world.”
The dates in the U.K. and Europe are the first to feature The Uptown Controllers overseas and will see Finn play his first headline shows in Beligum, Netherlands and Germany. Laura Stevenson will be special guest on all of the U.K. and Europe shows.
On touring, Finn says, “I’m beyond thrilled to be bringing the Uptown Controllers to the UK and Europe for the first time. The band has developed into something very musically exciting, and is able to do much justice to the material on I Need A New War and the prior two solo releases. The Uptown Controllers are loose, lush, elegant and fun. We will be joined in the UK by our friend Laura Stevenson, who has been known to join us on stage. These shows will be very special. Following the UK/Europe we will be touring Texas and West Coast USA for the first time with this band lineup. We are greatly looking forward to all of it.”
For complete details, please visit craigfinn.net/tour.
CRAIG FINN & THE UPTOWN CONTROLLERS
TOUR 2019
OCTOBER
11 - Bristol, England – Exchange *
12 - Nottingham, England – Bodega *
13 - Glasgow, Scotland - King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut *
15 - Leeds, England - Brudenell Social Club *
16 - Manchester, England - Deaf Institute *
17 - London, England - Olso20 October *
18 - London, England - Rough Trade East (live + signing)
19 - Liverpool, England - Phase One *
20 - Dublin, Ireland - Sugar Club *
22 - Antewerp, Belgium – Trix *
23 - Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso *
24 - Hamburg, Germany - Molotow Skybar *
25 - Berlin, Germany – Privitaclub *
NOVEMBER
1 - Austin, TX - Cactus Cafe Presents at the Texas Union Theater **
2 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada **
5 - San Diego, CA - Soda Bar **
7 - Los Angeles, CA - Bootleg Theater **
8 - Mill Valley, CA - Sweetwater Music Hall **
9 - San Francisco, CA - The Chapel **
12 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR **
13 - Seattle, WA - Triple Door **
* w/Special Guest Laura Stevenson
** w/Special Guest Cassandra Jenkins
I Need A New War is available now on Partisan Records. The third album in a trilogy (following 2015’s Faith in the Future and 2017’s We All Want The Same Things), I Need A New War once again sees Finn expertly chronicling our complex, often confusing, modern era. He draws deeply felt character studies about regular people trying to respond to extraordinary times, attempting to find connection whilst wondering how to keep pace with a world moving faster than they are. The LP further finds Finn focusing his lens on New York City - his home for the last 18 years.
Finn celebrated the release of I Need A New War with a pair of high profile TV appearances, including NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers and a three-song performance and in-depth chat with Anthony Mason on CBS This Morning Saturday.
Finn further marked I Need A New War by plotting geographic references from his entire solo discography onto a map interface. Fans are able to browse the pins to learn more about the lyrical landmarks in his songs, complete with additional analyses from Finn himself and a Geo Game to play for exclusive merchandise.
Recorded throughout 2018 at The Isokon in Woodstock, NY with producer Josh Kaufman and engineer D. James Goodwin, both of whom teamed with Finn on his widely acclaimed previous solo releases, I Need A New Warfeatures musical contributions from many of his regular solo collaborators, including Kaufman, horn master Stuart Bogie, vocalists Annie Nero and Cassandra Jenkins, and drummer extraordinaire Joe Russo.
I Need A New War was greeted with unanimous critical applause from media outlets around the world:
“In their vivid specificity, and even repetition, Finn’s stories channels truths that are timeless and universal. This trilogy shows he’s doing more than moonlighting from his main gig, along with a body of elliptical tales that deserve a fuller telling” – Rolling Stone (****)
“Finn has already built a sturdy legacy, but his solo records yield their own durable pleasures: I Need A New War shines like a beacon of light in a dark time.” – Pitchfork (8.0)
“Finn, the most human of story tellers, has created a record and a world within which you will never feel ashamed or alone.” – Line of Best Fit (9/10)
“There’s a fatigue that can come with fandom for a long-running band, but there’s also a sense of fulfillment in watching an enduring artist continue to find meaning all these years in. At this stage of his career, Finn’s become a reliable fixture, and repeat listenings through his discography are rewarded. This latest entry is further proof of his consistency and longevity.” – NPR
Find Craig Finn online: CRAIGFINN.NET | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | PARTISANRECORDS.COM