Craig Finn Shares “Messing With The Settings,” Announces Tour Dates

Craig Finn has announced a run of live shows beginning June 28 at the Turf Club in St. Paul, MN. Finn and his band, The Uptown Controllers then travel down to Evanston, IL, and make a stop at Milwaukee, WI’s SummerFest before heading to the Raccoon Hotel in Davenport, IA on July 1. The complete dates are below. More shows will be announced soon. Check here for information and updates.

This past Friday, Finn heralded the release of his eagerly awaited new album, A LEGACY OF RENTALS, with its first song, “Messing With the Settings.” The Hold Steady frontman’s fifth solo LP, A LEGACY OF RENTALS (Positive Jams/thirty Tigers) is set for release on Friday, May 20. The album will be available in several formats, including CD, standard vinyl, and limited-edition white vinyl (online orders only). Pre-orders and pre-saves are available now.

Recorded in May 2021 with Finn’s longtime collaborators, producer Josh Kaufman and engineer D. James Goodwin, A LEGACY OF RENTALS is heralded by the first song, “Messing With The Settings,” available today at all DSPs and streaming services. An exclusive album trailer is also available now.

A LEGACY OF RENTALS sees Finn exploring memory – how we remember our loved ones, the places in our lives that have changed, and recent events that are part of our pasts. Written over the course of 2020, the album explores the line between song and straight storytelling, with contributions from frequent musical partners including saxophonist Stuart Bogie, backing vocalists Cassandra Jenkins and Annie Nero, and the rhythm section of Joe Russo (drums) and Michael Libramento (bass). It also features a 14-piece string section arranged and recorded by Trey Pollard at Spacebomb bringing a drama and grandiose elegance that sets the album apart from anything in Finn’s previous body of work.

“The title A LEGACY OF RENTALS acknowledges that we can never completely hold any of our possessions,” Finn says, “and that our bodies are merely a temporary residence for our souls. All moments are fleeting. After the destruction of the past few years, I believe that there is joy in each and every living action, however mundane – walking to the kitchen, missing a train, spilling coffee, cleaning it up, meeting a friend for a meal. We all want to be remembered. We all want our time here to be consequential. In taking these daily actions, we engage in hope, and we guarantee our unique place in history.”