Craig Finn. Clash Music. Literary influences. And Interiew Sundays.

Craig Finn "Clear Heart Full Eyes" from Helms Workshop on Vimeo.

Ah yes, Interview Sundays are back. And today we are Craig Finn interview, yes that Craig Finn, at the Clash Music, talking writing songs and literary influences therein. 

Is there a book / author you would view as a parallel to the album, in terms of mood / theme?
 
I think any of the Raymond Carver stuff would be the most likely parallel. Not that this album in any way holds up to his writing, but in the sense that it often deals with the mundane and normal and the frustrations and terror that we sometimes find in our daily lives.

"Spending time with Keith is more like talking to a familiar friend than reading a book, which, as Craig Finn might say, is 'a pretty good feeling.' Indeed, it feels pretty good." You Can Make Him Like You gets some Goodreads love. And likes it. A lot.

Quite honored to see You Can Make Like You receive some quite kind and most thoughtful Goodreads love from rock star punk poet David Tomaloff. Big thanks man, drinks on us for sure when next we meet, and for everyone else, some excerpt.

"In a perfect world, books would have soundtracks the way movies have soundtracks. In You Can Make Him Like You, Ben Tanzer gets about as close as anyone could hope to in achieving the illusion in the meantime. In fact, the closing chapter, aptly titled Stay Positive, begs for the familiar cut-to-credits and black as the opening chords of its Hold Steady namesake fill the theater." 

Craig Finn. Eric Spitznagel. Vanity Fair. Blessed.

We know, we know, we are so interview this week, but what can we do, they keep coming, and they keep changing lives. Today, we have TBWCYL, Inc. favorite and author of Fast Forward: Confessions of a Porn Screenwriter Eric Spitznagel talking Catholicism, KISS and Goldman Sachs none other than Craig Finn the lead singer of The Hold Steady in Vanity Fair. Blessed indeed and excerpt below.

You also do a lot of finger pointing at the crowd during your live shows. But somehow it never seems as stupid as when some rock stars do it.

I think it’s about acknowledging that people are there, and we’re all in the same room together. When you go to a concert, you often don’t know if the performer can see you. So it’s like, “Yeah, I know you’re out there! I see you! You’re rocking!” It’s a respectful acknowledgement that they’re part of it.

So it’s not like when somebody from Mötley Crüe or Poison does it, and they’re just picking out the girls to be given backstage passes?

I don’t know if you’ve been to one of our shows, but there aren’t many women there. (Laughs.)

That’s probably not the best way to promote your tour. “The Hold Steady in Concert: No Chicks, Nothin’ But Dudes!”

I probably shouldn’t keep joking about it and putting that idea out there. It could be a self-fulfilling prophecy. It’s actually been getting better. I think the percentage is changing in a good way.