Liam Finn

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Liam Finn
Liam Mullane Finn.jpg
Finn at the world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – November 2012 Wellington, New Zealand
Background information
Born (1983-09-24) 24 September 1983 (age 40)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Origin Auckland, New Zealand
Genres Indie rock, dream pop
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, drums, keyboards, bass
Years active2000–present
Labels Liberation Music (AUS/NZ)
Yep Roc Records (USA)
Independent Records (Ireland)

Liam Mullane Finn (born 24 September 1983) is a New Zealand singer and musician. Born in Melbourne, Australia, he moved to New Zealand as a child. He is the son of musicians Sharon and Neil Finn. [1]

Contents

In 2020, he joined his father's band, Crowded House. [2]

Personal life

Finn married his long-term partner Janina Percival in June 2015. [3]

Career

Live shows

Liam Finn at age 3 with father Neil Finn (and Eddie Rayner at the keyboard) in April 1987 during one of Crowded House's US tours. Crowded-house-liam-finn-sf.jpg
Liam Finn at age 3 with father Neil Finn (and Eddie Rayner at the keyboard) in April 1987 during one of Crowded House's US tours.

In 2008 and 2009 Finn opened for Eddie Vedder's solo tour throughout America. [4] Finn also headlined his first North American tour and headed out on the road with The Black Keys in November 2008 in the UK and Europe. At the Dutch Crossing Border Festival he met Yuri Landman and borrowed a drum guitar, which he used on stage in the Netherlands and Germany. [5] Afterwards Landman invented a new instrument for him, a 24-string electric cymbalum called the Tafelberg, [6] which he incorporated at his stage performances.

Finn played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 14 March 2009 for Sound Relief, a multi-venue rock music concert in support of relief for the Victorian Bushfire Crisis. [7] [8] The event was held simultaneously with a concert at the Sydney Cricket Ground. [7] All the proceeds from the Melbourne Concert will go to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire relief. [7] [8] Appearing with Finn in Melbourne were Augie March, Bliss n Eso with Paris Wells, Gabriella Cilmi, Hunters & Collectors, Jack Johnson, Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson with Troy Cassar-Daley, Kings of Leon, Jet, Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly, Split Enz and Wolfmother. [9]

In August 2009, Finn performed with a new band called BARB on a small New Zealand tour with a band consisting of Connan Hosford (Connan and the Mockasins), James Milne (Lawrence Arabia), Eliza Jane Barnes, Seamus Ebbs, Jol Mulholland and Wild Bill Rickets. Their album (recorded at Roundhead Studios in Auckland) was released 24 August 2010. [10]

In January 2014, Finn toured New Zealand for the first time since 2011, this time with a new backing band The Salty Women, which consisted of mostly past collaborators including James Milne (Lawrence Arabia), Eliza Jane Barnes, and brother Elroy Finn. [11]

With Neil Finn and Crowded House

On 29 November 2009, Finn and his father also sang together (along with Pearl Jam, Ben Harper and Eliza-Jane Barnes) at Christchurch's AMI Stadium. They sang "Better Be Home Soon" and the Split Enz classic "I Got You". [12]

On 24 August 2018, Finn released the album Lightsleeper with his father. [13]

In 2021 he appeared on Crowded House's album Dreamers Are Waiting as a core member of the band. The album features several songs cowritten by Liam and Neil Finn, and one song ("Goodnight Everyone") that was written by Liam alone. [14]

Discography

Finn performing in 2008 Liam Finn shot by Kris Krug.jpg
Finn performing in 2008

Albums

Studio albums

YearTitleDetailsPeak chart positions
NZ
[15]
AUS
[16]
UK US
2007 I'll Be Lightning
  • Released: 4 August 2007
  • Label: Liberation Music
  • Catalogue: LIBCD92445
7571346
2011 FOMO
  • Released: 17 June 2011
  • Label: Liberation Music
  • Catalogue: LMCD0144
52621
2014 The Nihilist
  • Released: 4 April 2014
  • Label: Liberation Music
  • Catalogue: LMCD0241
8119
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Live albums

  • Live (in Spaceland) – 22 February 2008, Spaceland Recordings
  • Live From The Wiltern – (2008) Yep Roc Records

EPs

With Betchadupa

With BARB

With Neil Finn

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crowded House</span> Australian pop rock band

Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Later band members include Neil Finn's brother, Tim Finn and sons Liam and Elroy, as well as Americans Mark Hart and Matt Sherrod, with Neil Finn and Seymour being the sole constant members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Finn</span> New Zealand musician (born 1958)

Neil Mullane Finn is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known for being a principal member of Split Enz, of which he shared lead duties with his brother Tim, and the lead singer, guitarist, and a founding member of Crowded House. He has also been a member of Fleetwood Mac since 2018. Ed O'Brien of Radiohead has hailed Finn as popular music's "most prolific writer of great songs".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Hester</span> Australian musician (1959–2005)

Paul Newell Hester was an Australian musician and television personality. He was the drummer for the band Split Enz for their last year together from December 1983 to December 1984, and co-founding member and drummer of the band Crowded House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Split Enz</span> New Zealand new wave band

Split Enz were a New Zealand band formed in 1972. Regarded as the first New Zealand band to gain significant recognition outside of Australasia, they were initially noted for their progressive/art rock sound, flamboyant visual style and theatrical performances. The band later moved toward a pop/new wave sound that yielded the breakthrough hit single "I Got You" (1980). Split Enz broke up in 1984. Since that time, the band has staged several brief reunions.

Hunters & Collectors are an Australian rock band formed in 1981. Fronted by founding mainstay, singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Seymour, they developed a blend of pub rock and art-funk. Other mainstays are John Archer on bass guitar, Doug Falconer on drums and percussion. Soon after forming they were joined by Jack Howard on trumpet and keyboards, Jeremy Smith on French horn, guitars and keyboards, and Michael Waters on trombone and keyboards. Also acknowledged as a founder was engineer and art designer Robert Miles. Joining in 1988, Barry Palmer, on lead guitar, remained until they disbanded in 1998. The group reformed in 2013 with the 1998 line-up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Finn</span> New Zealand musician and founder of Split Enz (born 1952)

Brian Timothy Finn is a New Zealand singer, songwriter, musician, and composer. He is best known as a founding member of Split Enz. Finn founded the band in 1972 with Phil Judd and served as lead singer and principal songwriter. Following Judd's departure in 1977, he was joined by brother Neil. Finn wrote or co-wrote some of the band's best-known songs, including "I See Red" and "Six Months in a Leaky Boat". While still a member of Split Enz, he began a solo career, scoring the two hits "Fraction Too Much Friction" and "Made My Day" in 1983; he left the band in early 1984, briefly returning for their farewell tour later that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finn Brothers</span> New Zealand musical duo

The Finn Brothers are a New Zealand musical duo consisting of brothers Neil and Tim Finn. In June 1993 both members were awarded the OBE for their contribution to music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betchadupa</span> New Zealand pop/rock group

Betchadupa was a New Zealand pop/rock group, formed in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1997. The band featured Liam Finn, Chris Garland, Joe Bramley, and Matt Eccles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Rayner</span> New Zealand musician (born 1952)

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Rock music in New Zealand, also known as Kiwi rock music and New Zealand rock music, rose to prominence first in 1955 with Johnny Cooper's cover version of Bill Haley's hit song "Rock Around the Clock". This was followed by Johnny Devlin, sometimes nicknamed New Zealand's Elvis Presley, and his cover of "Lawdy Miss Clawdy". The 1960s saw Max Merritt and the Meteors and Ray Columbus & the Invaders achieve success. In the 1970s and early 1980s the innovative Split Enz had success internationally as well as nationally, with member Neil Finn later continuing with Crowded House. Other influential bands in the 1970s were Th' Dudes, Dragon and Hello Sailor. The early 1980s saw the development of the indie rock "Dunedin sound", typified by Dunedin bands such as The Clean, Straitjacket Fits and The Chills, recorded by the Flying Nun record label of Christchurch. New Zealand's foremost hard rock band Shihad started their long career in 1988. Since 2018 this title is now undoubtedly held by New Zealand Māori metal band Alien Weaponry who have achieved huge success in Europe and the USA.

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Temple of Low Men is the second studio album by New Zealand-Australian rock band Crowded House, released by Capitol Records on 5 July 1988. The three band members, Neil Finn, Nick Seymour and Paul Hester, recorded the album in Melbourne and Los Angeles with Mitchell Froom as producer. Finn had written all ten tracks during the two years since their self-titled debut. Temple of Low Men peaked at number one in Australia, number two in New Zealand, number ten in Canada and number 40 on the US Billboard 200.

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<i>See Ya Round</i> 1984 studio album by Split Enz

See Ya 'Round is the tenth and final studio album by New Zealand's premier new wave band, Split Enz, and was released in 1984, following the departure of founding member Tim Finn, whose solo career had officially taken off the year before. Remaining songwriter Neil Finn, claiming to be a little daunted by the prospect of leading his older brother's band, subsequently announced that this would be the final Split Enz studio recording. Since he only had an EP's worth of material ready, the record was filled out by lightweight, experimental contributions from each of the other band members. In interviews, Neil has revealed that the original EP was to have been the first five tracks on the album.

Philip Raymond Judd is a New Zealand singer-songwriter known for being one of the founders of the bands Split Enz and The Swingers.

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<i>Goin Your Way</i> 2013 live album by Neil Finn and Paul Kelly

Goin' Your Way is a live album collaboration recorded by Neil Finn and Paul Kelly during a performance at the Sydney Opera House on 10 March 2013. It was released on 8 November as a stand-alone 2× CD, Blu-ray or DVD; or in a Limited Edition Deluxe version with all three formats. From 18 February to 18 March, Finn and Kelly undertook a joint tour of Australia, they performed tracks from their respective careers, including re-interpreting each other's work. The CD album peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart while the DVD reached No. 1 on the related Music DVD Chart.

References

  1. Harrop, Nicky (19 November 2016). "Weekend Rewind: The Finn Family Tree". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  2. "Liam Finn idolised the Crowded House legacy growing up. Now, he's part of it". 2 June 2021.
  3. "The Finn family gather for a very special wedding". Stuff. 12 June 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  4. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/liam-finn-to-tour-with-family-friend-eddie-vedder/PBADDEUQ3J4737VADSOJSRRBQI/
  5. "Youtube clip where Liam performs with the drum guitar". Youtube. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  6. "Liam Finn: No place like home". The Days of Lore. 7 December 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 Brumby, John (24 February 2009). "Artists Unite For 'Sound Relief' Bushfire Benefit – Premier of Victoria, Australia". Premier of Victoria. Archived from the original on 16 July 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
  8. 1 2 Mitchell, Geraldine (24 February 2009). "Coldplay, Kings of Leon to headline bushfire relief concerts". Herald Sun. Australia: The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd. Archived from the original on 25 February 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
  9. "Latest News". Sound Relief. Archived from the original on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
  10. "Yep Roc Records > Artist Info". Yeproc.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  11. "Under The Radar – Live Reviews, Liam Finn at Galatos Auckland, January 31st 2014".
  12. Anderson, Vicki (30 November 2009). "Pearl Jam a hit in Christchurch-review". Stuff.co.nz . Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  13. Hann, Michael (24 August 2018). "Neil and Liam Finn: Lightsleeper review – father and son pour out the melodies". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  14. Ian Rushbury, "Crowded House prove pop music is still in good hands with 'Dreamers Are Waiting'". PopMatters , 28 June 2021.
  15. "LIAM FINN IN NEW ZEALAND CHARTS". charts.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  16. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 103.