Darker with the Dawn

From his early work with The Birthday Party to the future sounds of Ghosteen, Nick Cave has rewritten the language of rock ‘n’ roll.

Darker with the Dawn uncovers the history and deeper meanings behind Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds’ most well-known songs from “Tupelo”, “The Mercy Seat”, “Red Right Hand”, “Stagger Lee”, “Into My Arms”, to “Higgs Boson Blues” and beyond.

The book explores Nick Cave’s life in music drawing upon his inspirations of the Bible, Greek myth, and literature, as well as his enduring passion for gospel, blues, and progressive rock. Steiner reflects upon Cave's journey from his childhood in Australia, struggles with drug addiction, his young fascination with the nightmare landscapes of America's wild west and the southern gothic towards a reckoning with his own sense of Christian spirituality. In a career spanning four decades Cave's songwriting has moved from the saints and sinners of the traditional murder ballad to piano-based heartbreak songs, deconstructed garage rock and ambient fever dreams delivered through minimalist electronica. Adam Steiner dives into the world of a complex songwriter who, in his universal expressions of love and death, continues to speak to us of the light and shade of humanity.

"For over forty years, Nick Cave's complex and richly allusive music has invited and rewarded close consideration. Scholarly, thorough, and insightful, Darker with the Dawn delivers the depth of analysis that Cave's body of work deserves."

--Simon Price, author of Curepedia: An A-Z Of The Cure

"This is a great primer on all things Nick Cave--a solid, deep dive into where Nick Cave started from and how he made it to the present day. This is a must read for any Nick Cave fan, whether a newcomer or veteran."

--Tony DuShane, author of Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk, former music columnist, San Francisco Chronicle

Adam Steiner's Darker with the Dawn is a comprehensive analysis of the artistic evolution of Nick Cave, exploring how his personal experiences have shaped his music. From his early work's violent and religious imagery to intimate and emotional imagery, Cave's complex songwriting covers themes and genres, reflecting diverse musical tastes and creative impulses. Steiner examines the sources and meanings of Cave's lyrics, revealing a multifaceted artist who constantly challenges himself and his audience with his twist of love and death.

-- "Spill"

Described as a primer on all things Nick Cave, Darker Than The Dawn is more than that. It is a deep dive into the life, loves and losses that make up one of our generation's greatest creative artists. It is obviously also a labour of love for Steiner, only a genuine and long-time fan would even think of attempting something as labour-intensive as this and it is easy to imagine the author getting completely caught up in Cave's work and mindset as he went to such lengths to analyse and research such a lengthy and diverse back catalogue and its interconnecting strands. Darker Than The Dawn is a great read for old fans and new, for those who are looking for a good introduction to Cave's work and for those who have lived with it and would appreciate an in-depth analysis.

-- "Louder Than War"

In Darker with the Dawn, Adam Steiner rappels deep into Cave's songs of love and death.... Steiner is excellent on Cave's rock roots and biblical inspirations from language to imagery to themes.

-- "Seen & Unseen"

Nick Cave has created a body of work across music, prose, and screen unmatched in its impact, depth, and erudition by few artists. At last, we have a critical analysis that does this achievement justice. Adam Steiner has set the benchmark for many years to come.

--Mat Snow, former editor of Mojo, author of Nick Cave: Sinner Saint

Steiner connects all the dots in Darker with the Dawn, deeply examining what inspired Cave and how his work intersects in that Venn diagram of God, sex and violence.... Steiner is also a strong writer, and his deep reading into Cave's work is comprehensive and goes beyond the obvious.

-- "Spectrum Cutlure"

Adam Steiner is the author of Into The Never: Nine Inch Nails and the Creation of The Downward Spiral and Silhouettes And Shadows: The Secret History of David Bowie’s Scary Monsters. He writes about music, street-art culture, architecture, poetry, and transgressive fiction and lives in London, England. Visit adamsteiner.uk/.

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