By Robert Duguay

Brooklyn indie rock act The Hold Steady will be at Suffolk Downs this weekend. The band’s frontman, Craig Finn, is a Boston native.

The cover art of Craig Finn’s solo album, Always Been.

After Labor Day Weekend, there are plenty of signs that summer is coming to a close. You can see it in various advertisements for food and various goods, including too many references to the infamous pumpkin spice and all the Spirit Halloween stores popping up.

You cannot deny fall is coming, but there are plenty of outdoor events still taking place, like Seisiún, which is happening at The Stage at Suffolk Downs in East Boston on September 6 and 7. It’s an Irish art, music, and cultural festival featuring the likes of The Pogues, Dropkick Murphys, Glen Hansard, The Waterboys, Stiff Little Fingers, Lisa O’Neill, and more. Both installments start at 1 p.m. Brooklyn indie rock act The Hold Steady will be there as well. On top of that, their frontman Craig Finn is a Boston native.

Finn and I talked ahead of the festivities about his latest solo record, Always Been, which came out earlier this year; coming back home, even though he spent most of his early years in Minneapolis; and The Hold Steady’s plans for future recordings.

The Arts Fuse: Back in April you released a new solo album titled Always Been. Adam Granduciel from The War On Drugs was the producer. How did this collaboration initially come together?

Craig Finn: I had these songs, I was looking for a producer and I’ve known Adam for a long time. In 2009, The Hold Steady took The War On Drugs along on what I think was their first American tour. I knew he had a studio and he invited me to check it out. We talked about music and how we create it. From that discussion, I came to the conclusion that we’re polar opposites. He goes on this journey of sound where he records tons of tracks and eventually turns all of this work into a song. He adds lyrics pretty late in the game. I’m almost the exact opposite; I have tons of lyrics and like two chords.

I thought it would be an interesting experiment to meet in the middle. I also thought, since he takes such a long time to make his own records and he gets so much joy out of making music, it would be cool to work on something with his gear in his studio. That way, he would not be making his own music and have to deal with all the pressures that were involved. It’s one of the best decisions I made in my life because he did a great job.

AF: You’ve mentioned that this is the most narrative record you’ve made, which says a lot because a lot of the music you’ve written tells some sort of story, the material influenced by your upbringing in Minneapolis. The theme this time around centers on a person who pursued a career as a clergyman despite a lack of faith. What inspired this topic?

Finn: Well, I guess the first thing that happened was I just wrote a song, which ended up being the first track on the record, “Bethany.” Religion is very interesting in this country, and it fascinated me because the clergy holds a big place in a lot of communities. What he does, it parallels a lot of what a rock & roll singer does when it comes to building a dedicated congregation, working with rituals, etcetera. I was taken by the idea once I wrote “Bethany.” I wanted to spend more time with that character and think about his own journey. I started examining that song, putting individual lines under a microscope.

For instance, the next song “People of Substance” is me thinking about what the clergyman would say to his ex-wife. The third song “Crumbs,” was inspired by a line in “Bethany” where he talks about going to his sister’s in Philadelphia. I thought about what happens in that house. I started looking deeper and deeper into that song as a map, blowing up and enlarging parts of it to build up a world.

Craig Finn of The Hold Steady. Photo: Dan Monick

AF: As part of The Hold Steady, you’re going to be taking part in the”Seisiún” happening at the Stage at Suffolk Downs, which is a former horse racing track. You’re originally from Boston, so what are your thoughts on being part of this event?

Finn: It’s really cool. I don’t think I’ve ever been to the race track, but I was born in St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Brighton, and then I moved to Minneapolis when I was in grade school. I returned to go to Boston College, so I’m always pretty up for Boston shows. It looks like a cool lineup, Stiff Little Fingers are playing too, and they’re a band I’ve loved since high school. It’s always fun to be back in Boston. I’m excited to be there.

AF: How about 2026? Can we expect any new releases from The Hold Steady? It’s been a couple years since you guys put out your last album The Price of Progress. Will there be a new recording soon?

Finn: I certainly hope so. We were in Philly a few weeks ago and we played a song every night for three nights, so we’re starting to get some songs together. I don’t think we have an album’s worth yet. It always takes a little while to get things together, but we’re certainly working on new music. I can’t speak to a release date, but we’re moving towards it.

Rob Duguay is an arts & entertainment journalist based in Providence, who is originally from Shelton, CT. Outside of The Arts Fuse, he has also written for DigBoston, Aquarian Weekly, Providence Journal, Newport Daily News, Worcester Magazine, New Noise Magazine, Manchester Ink Link, and numerous other publications. While covering mostly music, he has also written about film, TV, comedy, theater, visual art, food, drink, sports, and cannabis.