On ‘Continue as a Guest,’ The New Pornographers skirt creative expectations

Carl Newman, of The New Pornographers, can’t stop writing songs. He started working on the band’s album, called Continue as a Guest, when their last tour was ending. That album was just released, and he’s already in the middle of writing the next one.

In this session, Newman slows down for a minute and takes a break to talk to World Cafe about Continue as a Guest. He tried lots of new things when writing it, including collaborating with an artist outside of the band — a first for a New Pornographers album. He also talks about the internet, about the way we see ourselves, and what the phrase “continue as a guest” means to him, as an artist 26 years into his career.