"Tad: I think we became super obsessed with Radiohead's "Exit Music (for a Film) SaveFrom.net." There is a way those guys can really concisely convey an emotional element. There’s something really dour and lonely about that song. There's a feeling of real hopelessness in it. I’m not saying that “Oaks” is anything like that song or even remotely as good as anything Radiohead’s ever done. I mean, those guys are far and beyond what any band could aspire to. I don’t know if you have any friends that have had problems with drugs or anything like that, but I wanted to try to somehow portray this particular emotion that comes up when you’re saying good-bye and you walk away knowing that that’s the last time you’re going to see them.
Craig: That’s again, the big last song, our longest song ever, and that was one that, I don’t know, it’s an obvious ender. At nine minutes, it couldn’t have gone anywhere else, but it’s a big dramatic ending on the album. The coda is something we added later because I felt otherwise it was really dark and I didn't want to go out on this hopeless note. That was one that came together in the studio and surprised everyone. We thought it was a B going in; we thought it was an A when we were done."
"Tad: I think we became super obsessed with Radiohead's "Exit Music (for a Film) SaveFrom.net." There is a way those guys can really concisely convey an emotional element. There’s something really dour and lonely about that song. There's a feeling of real hopelessness in it. I’m not saying that “Oaks” is anything like that song or even remotely as good as anything Radiohead’s ever done. I mean, those guys are far and beyond what any band could aspire to. I don’t know if you have any friends that have had problems with drugs or anything like that, but I wanted to try to somehow portray this particular emotion that comes up when you’re saying good-bye and you walk away knowing that that’s the last time you’re going to see them.
Craig: That’s again, the big last song, our longest song ever, and that was one that, I don’t know, it’s an obvious ender. At nine minutes, it couldn’t have gone anywhere else, but it’s a big dramatic ending on the album. The coda is something we added later because I felt otherwise it was really dark and I didn't want to go out on this hopeless note. That was one that came together in the studio and surprised everyone. We thought it was a B going in; we thought it was an A when we were done."
http://www.vulture.com/2014/04/hold-steady-craig-finn-tad-kubler-pick-best-songs.html