Craig Minowa (second from right) has written hundreds of songs inspired by his son Kaidin, who passed away in 2002. His band, Cloud Cult, will play at Radio Radio April 12.

Parents who experience the death of a young child might spend their whole lives recovering from the soul-rocking shock, the heartbreaking grief and the inevitable feelings of despair and guilt that follow. They might look to friends, family, counselors, self-help organizations or medication for relief.

Craig Minowa looked to rock 'n' roll.

When Minowa and his wife, Connie, suddenly lost their infant son, Kaidin, in 2002, the focus of Minowa's prog-leaning indie rock band Cloud Cult turned to the exploration of mortality and "what the afterlife has to do with the present moment of being alive."

What followed were four albums over five years -- "They Live on the Sun," "Aurora Borealis," "Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus" and last year's critically acclaimed "The Meaning of 8" -- that relentlessly pounded away at the question of what it means to live and die.

Last Tuesday saw the release of Cloud Cult's newest album, "Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes)," and according to Minowa, it embodies a different spirit from any of its predecessors.

"This one is about rebirth and reminding yourself to maintain perspective, whatever you are standing in front of, whether it is beautiful or ugly."

Cloud Cult -- a seven-piece band that includes the traditional guitar/drums/bass setup plus a violinist, cellist and two visual artists who paint during every performance-- will come to Radio Radio in support of "Feel Good Ghosts" this week. Minowa recently talked to Indy.com from his Minnesota farmhouse about his approach to songwriting and how a recent family decision affected the thematic content of Cloud Cult's newest album.

Listening to your music, it's apparent you don't bother writing about trivial things.

Music for me is an opportunity to get deeper into myself than I can with any other tool. It really doesn't make sense to sit down and write about drinking or scoring girls. That all has its place, it's just not how it has worked in my life. Music has always been some sort of spiritual net that saves me when I go too far over an edge, and a rocket ship that helps me get from my own isolated reality into a bigger realm of connectedness. I do a lot of the writing here at the farm, sitting on the porch staring at the stars, trying to figure this whole thing out. I know I never will, but I have a really good time trying.

Do you think about how your music affects others?

In the early days, when I was working through grief, (fans) were writing who were also working through grief over a lost loved one, and there were people who hadn't been able to find any books or religion to help. But for whatever reason, the music helped.

As a musician, your artwork is on the radio, people are listening to it on iPods -- it is a literal contagion. It's your choice to make it either negative or positive.

How is the new album different from prior ones?

I don't want to get pegged as that guy who can't stop writing about his son. But Kaidin inspires everything that Connie and I do, and he will always be with us and be that motivating factor. It has been a few years, and we have gotten to the point where we are ready to have a child again, and we are really excited about that. This album literally is about that plan for rebirth -- the moment in the movie where the rain clouds finally break and the two main characters are ready to bask in the sun. I don't know what comes after that, but I think it's "happily ever after."