If music fits, Liam Finn has room
Liam Finn's face may not be familiar to that many people just yet, but his name certainly is.
Anyone with a passion for pop music will recognize Finn as the eldest son of Neil Finn, the man behind New Zealand's greatest musical exports, Split Enz and Crowded House. But, over the past couple years, the younger Finn has grown into a formidable singer-songwriter and creative force in his own right. Finn will be in Memphis on Saturday night performing at the Orpheum, opening a solo show by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder.
Singer-songwriter Mike Finn, son of Neil Finn (of Split Enz and Crowded House fame), has found his own voice.
More Music News 
Share and Enjoy 
For the 25-year-old Finn, growing up in a highly creative family atmosphere, a career making music seemed an obvious fit. "I was definitely encouraged to pursue music, but my parents probably would've encouraged anything I was passionate about," says Finn. "From watching dad, it looked like a pretty good time getting on stage and performing and having people give so much energy back to you. It was an attractive job."
"My mum probably thought, 'Oh god, not another musician," says Finn, laughing. "'Cause it's not the easiest or most secure thing to persevere with, but it was a natural thing for me to gravitate towards."
Unlike a lot of rock children, Finn doesn't seem bothered by associations or comparison with his father. In fact, he even served as touring member for the reunited Crowded House in 2007. "Well, I've been playing in bands and releasing records for 10 years, so I've gotten used to how I fit into all that -- or how it fits in with me," says Finn.
"When I was younger I might've wanted to push it away a bit more and purposely make music that wouldn't ever be compared to dad. But I kind of got that out of my system and realized that, naturally, I wrote songs not too dissimilar to what dad writes. It sounds different in a way, and the way I record is very different, but ultimately we both like melodic, intimate, honest songwriting."
After several years fronting the Kiwi band Betchadupa, Finn found his voice with his solo debut, I'll Be Lighting. The album, which was rolled out internationally in 2007 and 2008, was a slow growing hit with critics and fans.
Although Finn had been itching to record a follow-up, finding an opportunity to go into the studio proved more of a challenge. "Last year was crazy. We did something like 187 shows during the year, so it was almost impossible to find time to think, let alone write or record new music. We probably just wanted to sleep when we had time off," says Finn, laughing.
A few months ago, Finn finally returned to the studio -- with tourmate E.J. Barnes, herself the daughter of famed Australian singer Jimmy Barnes -- and fleshed out a batch of songs that will comprise a new EP, set for a September release.
"I wrote a lot of it in the studio. I think there was a lot of pent-up information and stimulation from the last couple years that seemed to make the songs flow quite easily. In a way it's similar to I'll Be Lighting but it's also moving forward a bit. You always want to take the next step on each record."
In addition to his own solo work, earlier this year Finn was a part of the writing and recording of 7 Worlds Collide, a "supergroup" project headed by his father and featuring members of Radiohead and Wilco.
"That was a unique experience for everyone," says Finn. "Everyone was a bit out of their comfort zone, not having worked with one another before. That made it spark and made it exciting."
Happy to juggle multiple musical projects, Finn and Barnes are also set to make a new record with a contingent of fellow New Zealand singer-songwriters. "It's really a new band we're forming, but we haven't come up with a name so it's a bit unofficial still. But we booked a studio for a month and are going to make a record. It's exciting as I haven't had a band in a long time, and have been playing in such a stripped down way for so long."
Finn plans on coming back to the U.S. in the fall for a headlining tour, but in the meantime he'll continue opening his second jaunt for Pearl Jam's Vedder.
Finn -- who joins Vedder onstage each night to duet on several covers -- says the experience has been free of the typical vagaries of being an opening act.
"With Eddie's fans they're very open to being entertained," says Finn. "We seem to have struck a chord with them. A lot of them are repeat attendees and have seen us play before. So when we walk out there's a feeling of familiarity in the room. It's always terrific fun."
-- Bob Mehr: 529-2517
Eddie Vedder, Liam Finn
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. at the Orpheum, 203 S. Main St. Tickets are $75 and are available at the Orpheum box office, at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.
Comments
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.