Q with Tom Power A.C. Newman reflects on endings after a sobering year for The New Pornographers
Mar 26, 2026
A.C. Newman, frontman and songwriter for The New Pornographers, reflects on songwriting, loss and a turbulent year for the band. He talks about writing songs as short stories, the inspiration behind tracks like 'Spooky Action' and nostalgic tales such as the last payphone. He also discusses a painful band rupture, re-recording with Charlie Drayton, and learning to slow down and savor moments.
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Character Driven Songwriting During COVID
- A.C. Newman used fictional characters to step outside his own perspective when writing this record.
- He wrote songs as short-story characters (a Sondheim-like heroine, Cassini satellite) to avoid self-centeredness during COVID.
How Spooky Action Came From A Line And Cassini
- The song "Spooky Action" began from a single line and converging readings about quantum entanglement and the Cassini-Huygens mission.
- Newman combined a line he liked, Einstein's "spooky action at a distance," and Cassini's final plunge into Saturn.
Album Title From Flooded Upstate Town Signs
- The album title came from roadside signs near the Ashokan Reservoir about drowned towns like West Hurley.
- Newman imagined a preacher refusing to leave his church as the water rose, which became the title-track narrative.