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After the breakup of Split Enz in 1984. Finn formed a new band called [[The Mullanes]] (Mullane being both his middle name and his mother's maiden name) with Split Enz drummer [[Paul Hester]], guitarist [[Craig Hooper]] of [[The Reels]] and bassist [[Nick Seymour]] (younger brother of [[Hunters & Collectors]] leader [[Mark Seymour]]), whom Neil had met on the final Split Enz tour. Hooper left just before they recorded their first album, at which time the band was renamed [[Crowded House]], inspired by the rental home they shared while recording in Los Angeles. |
After the breakup of Split Enz in 1984. Finn formed a new band called [[The Mullanes]] (Mullane being both his middle name and his mother's maiden name) with Split Enz drummer [[Paul Hester]], guitarist [[Craig Hooper]] of [[The Reels]] and bassist [[Nick Seymour]] (younger brother of [[Hunters & Collectors]] leader [[Mark Seymour]]), whom Neil had met on the final Split Enz tour. Hooper left just before they recorded their first album, at which time the band was renamed [[Crowded House]], inspired by the rental home they shared while recording in Los Angeles. |
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Crowded House went on to enormous success worldwide, in particular with two major hits: "[[Don't Dream It's Over]]" (US #2, 1987) and "[[Weather With You]]" (UK #7, 1992). Both Neil and his brother Tim were invested as [[Order of the British Empire|Officers of the Order of the British Empire]] (OBE) for services to New Zealand music in the 1993 Queen's Birthday Honours List.<ref name="London Gazette Issue 53334"/> After releasing four albums, ''[[Crowded House]]'', ''[[Temple of Low Men]]'', ''[[Woodface]]'', and ''[[Together Alone]]'', the group broke up in 1996, and followed this action by releasing a [[greatest hits]] album ''[[Recurring Dream]]''. |
Crowded House went on to enormous success worldwide, in particular with two major hits: "[[Don't Dream It's Over]]" (US #2, 1987) and "[[Weather With You]]" (UK #7, 1992). Both Neil and his brother Tim were invested as [[Order of the British Empire|Officers of the Order of the British Empire]] (OBE) for services to New Zealand music in the 1993 Queen's Birthday Honours List.<ref name="London Gazette Issue 53334"/> After releasing four albums, ''[[Crowded House (album)|Crowded House]]'', ''[[Temple of Low Men]]'', ''[[Woodface]]'', and ''[[Together Alone]]'', the group broke up in 1996, and followed this action by releasing a [[greatest hits]] album ''[[Recurring Dream]]''. |
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===1997-2006: Solo work=== |
===1997-2006: Solo work=== |
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Revision as of 17:32, 3 April 2013
Neil Finn OBE | |
|---|---|
 Neil Finn, 13 June 2006, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Neil Mullane Finn |
| Born | 27 May 1958 Te Awamutu, New Zealand |
| Genres | Rock, art rock, New Wave, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, ukulele, mandolin, keyboards, bass guitar, drums |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Labels | Columbia |
Neil Mullane Finn OBE (born 27 May 1958) is a New Zealand recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House. He has also recorded several successful solo albums and assembled diverse musicians for the 7 Worlds Collide projects.
Finn rose to prominence in the late 1970s after replacing singer songwriter Phil Judd in his brother Tim Finn's band Split Enz. With the group, Finn wrote the hits "One Step Ahead", "History Never Repeats", "I Got You" and "Message to My Girl", among others. Finn rose from prominence to international fame after Split Enz broke up in 1984. While his brother Tim Finn left for England, Neil was the founder of Crowded House with Split Enz's final drummer Paul Hester in 1985. The group achieved international success in 1987 when they released the single "Don't Dream It's Over" written by Neil.
He ended Crowded House in 1996 to embark upon what was to become a moderately successful solo career, and has released two albums with his brother Tim under the title the Finn Brothers. In 2006, following the death of Hester, Finn reformed Crowded House (adding Beck's former drummer Matt Sherrod) and released their first studio album in over 13 years, Time on Earth, and the band began a world tour. In 2010, Finn commenced another world tour with Crowded House in support of their 2010 release, Intriguer.
Biography
1958-78: Early life
Neil Finn was born the youngest of four children to Dick and Mary Finn in Te Awamutu, New Zealand.[1] His mother, a devout Catholic who moved to New Zealand from Ireland at the age of two, maintained a religious influence over the family.[2] Speaking of Catholicism, Finn stated "It's a great fertile ground for pulling lyrics out. [There's] lots of good stuff going on in there, good rituals and imagery and lots of guilt. It's a very potent combination. I think you're blessed, really, to be brought up with some kind of weird dogma like that."[3] His father, the son of a farmer from Waikato, served in the army in Italy and became an accountant during World War II.[2] His parents instilled an "inspiring admiration of music" in young Finn; the family would often engage in sing-alongs around the family piano.[4] In addition to music, Finn also enjoyed sports, particularly swimming, rugby, tennis, and biking.[5]
As a child, Finn would often perform at family gatherings with his older brother Tim. Finn recalled, "We'd sing all night. It was very much part of our upbringing...That was the first inkling of the seduction of live performance."[6] He idolized his brother and wished to imitate his actions, learning to play guitar and piano at the same time Tim did.[7] Finn was more public about his musical aspirations, and won ten shillings in his school's annual talent contest shortly after enrolling.[8] When Tim left to study at Sacred Heart College, a boarding school in Auckland, eight-year-old Finn started playing a guitar that he had left behind.[9] A naturally willing performer, Finn was nicknamed 'The Ant' by his family due to his determined and ambitious nature.[10]
He attended Sacred Heart boarding school and Te Awamutu College. He decided to become a musician at the age of 12 and throughout his school years performed in prisons and hospitals as well as at home gatherings. Neil finished school in 1975.
1977-84: Split Enz
A year later he formed a group known as After Hours with Mark Hough, Geoff Chunn and Alan Brown. Not long after the band's debut performance, Neil was invited to London to join Split Enz, the band formed by his elder brother Tim. By 1980, he was sharing lead singer duties. He wrote their first international hit "I Got You" and contributed significantly to all their later albums, even briefly assuming leadership of the band after Tim left in 1984, soon before its breakup.
1985-96: Crowded House
After the breakup of Split Enz in 1984. Finn formed a new band called The Mullanes (Mullane being both his middle name and his mother's maiden name) with Split Enz drummer Paul Hester, guitarist Craig Hooper of The Reels and bassist Nick Seymour (younger brother of Hunters & Collectors leader Mark Seymour), whom Neil had met on the final Split Enz tour. Hooper left just before they recorded their first album, at which time the band was renamed Crowded House, inspired by the rental home they shared while recording in Los Angeles.
Crowded House went on to enormous success worldwide, in particular with two major hits: "Don't Dream It's Over" (US #2, 1987) and "Weather With You" (UK #7, 1992). Both Neil and his brother Tim were invested as Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to New Zealand music in the 1993 Queen's Birthday Honours List.[11] After releasing four albums, Crowded House, Temple of Low Men, Woodface, and Together Alone, the group broke up in 1996, and followed this action by releasing a greatest hits album Recurring Dream.
1997-2006: Solo work
Following the breakup of Crowded House, Neil went solo. Later the album Afterglow was released, which contained Crowded House tracks not previously found on any of the band's albums.
Finn has recorded two solo albums to date: Try Whistling This (1998) and One Nil (2001). (One Nil was released in the US and Canada – remixed, reordered and renamed One All – in 2002.) In addition, he and brother Tim have collaborated on two Finn Brothers albums, Finn (1995) and Everyone Is Here (2004).
In 2001, he released a live album/DVD (7 Worlds Collide) consisting of songs recorded at St James Theatre in Auckland, New Zealand with the likes of Lisa Germano, Sebastian Steinberg (Soul Coughing), Ed O'Brien and Phil Selway (Radiohead), Johnny Marr (The Smiths), Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), Paul Jeffrey, Tim Finn, and Betchadupa. Finn was additionally heavily involved in creating the 2001 soundtrack for the motion picture Rain.
Finn has contributed solo music to various film and TV soundtracks including Rain, Boston Legal, Boston Public, The Waiting Game, Antz, and Sports Night.
2006-present: Reformation of Crowded House and Pajama Club
In January 2007, it was announced that Crowded House were reforming with Neil, Nick Seymour, Mark Hart and new drummer Matt Sherrod (following the suicide of Paul Hester in 2005). The group's new album Time on Earth was released in June 2007; in the pre-release build up, they headlined a show at Coachella in April 2007, then commenced a world tour.
In March 2009, Neil joined brother Tim on stage with son Liam Finn at Melbourne's charity Sound Relief concert at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in support of the 2009 Victorian Bushfires.
Finn and wife Sharon began a side project called Pajama Club in 2011. After Finn's children, Liam and Elroy, left the family home to pursue their own musical careers, the two wondered what to do to fill the time left open by their children's absence.[12] The two decided to repair the music room in their Auckland home and begin making music of their own: "We've had a bit more time on our hands since the boys left home, and we just decided to make a record. It was as simple as that. We called the group Pajama Club, because we were dressed in our pajamas when we started."[12] Here, Sharon began to play the bass guitar, while Neil sat behind the drum set, despite the fact that neither had played either instrument before. Neil commented that "We found ourselves locking into these grooves which were incredibly fun to play...We naturally gravitated towards being 'funky'," drawing influence from South Bronx band ESG.[12] Pajama Club released their self-titled debut album in September 2011.
In 2012, Neil recorded the track "Song of the Lonely Mountain", which was featured in the end credits of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.[13]
Collaborations
The Dixie Chicks release Taking the Long Way has a song co-written with Finn, entitled "Silent House". It deals with people suffering from Alzheimers disease, slowly finding that familiar faces and items long cherished are slipping away from their memory. Neil Finn was also featured as a backing vocalist on the Sheryl Crow song, "Everyday is a Winding Road" from her self-titled second album, released in 1997. He also produced the song "Greenstone" from Emma Paki's debut album Oxygen of Love. Finn has also produced and recorded with various New Zealand acts such as Bic Runga, The Mutton Birds and Dave Dobbyn.
In 2006, Neil and Tim Finn were both honoured by a slew of women re-recording and re-interpreting a selection of their songs with the album She Will Have Her Way which featured artists performing Neil Finn's songs such as Kasey Chambers, Clare Bowditch, Boh Runga with her band Stellar*, Renée Geyer, Brooke Fraser, Holly Throsby, Sarah Blasko, Amiel and Natalie Imbruglia.
Neil played solo at New Zealand WOMAD 2008 festival, filling in at short notice for another performer who had become unwell.
In December 2008 several of the 7 Worlds Collide lineup reconvened in Auckland, New Zealand to record The Sun Came Out, a charity album for Oxfam to be released 29 September 2009. It was recorded in Finn's own Roundhead Studios and will feature all-new material, with singing and songwriting contributions divided amongst the group. Most of the original members of Crowded House have returned, along with several new additions including Jeff Tweedy and three other members of Wilco, Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, and notable New Zealand songwriters Don McGlashan and Bic Runga. As in 2001 the group gave a series of live performances, though at three nights the run was shorter and the venue was more intimate.
Finn had a cameo appearance acting role on the BBC Radio Show Flight of the Conchords.
Finn appeared on fellow musician Missy Higgins' CD, On a Clear Night (2007). He played electric guitar for the song "Peachy", and sang backing vocals on "Going North".
Charity work
In 1986 Finn performed with The Rock Party a charity project initiated by The National Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NCADA), which included many Australasian musicians such as Reg Mombassa from Mental As Anything, Eddie Rayner, Tim Finn, Nick Seymour and Paul Hester of Crowded House, Geoff Stapleton, Mark Callaghan and Robbie James of GANGgajang, Mary Azzopardi of Rockmelons, Andrew Barnum of The Vitabeats, Lissa Barnum, Michael Barclay, Peter Blakely, Deborah Conway, Jenny Morris, Danny De Costa, Greg Herbert (The Promise), Spencer P Jones, Sean Kelly (Models), John Kennedy, Paul Kelly, Martin Plaza (Mental as Anything), Robert Susz (Dynamic Hepnotics) and Rick Swinn (The Venetians).[14] The Rock Party released a 12" single "Everything To Live For", which was produced by Joe Wissert, Phil Rigger and Phil Beazley.[14]
In February 2007, Neil Finn performed with his son Elroy and Jimmy Barnes at a charity benefit concert for cerebral palsy.[citation needed] The event was held at the Roxburgh Hall, Stowe School, Stowe in Buckinghamshire, UK. The benefit was in aid of he UK charity Scope (formerly "The Spastics Society"), England's largest charity working for people living with cerebral palsy and their families.
Personal life
 | This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (November 2012) |
Finn married Sharon Dawn Johnson, on 13 February 1982. The song "I Love You Dawn", available on Afterglow (an album of unreleased Crowded House tracks and B-sides) was penned in her honour. Sharon creates chandeliers in her workshop in Auckland, many of which featured on stage in the 2004–05 tours promoting the Everyone Is Here album. She has appeared on backing vocals on various albums such as Crowded House and Alex Lloyd's Watching Angels Mend She also features prominently on the new 7 Worlds Collide project, co-writing (and sharing lead vocal) the track 'Little By Little' with her husband and sings on the track 'Isolation' on the new Crowded House album, Intriguer.
Finn and wife Sharon formed a band of their own titled 'Pajama Club' after their two sons moved out of the family home and they were left with a lot of free time. They released their self titled debut album in September 2011.
They have two sons, Liam Mullane Finn (born 1983) (Split Enz's "Our Day" was written about his birth) and Elroy Timothy Finn (born 1989). Both sons are multi-instrumentalists, like their father, and often perform alongside him on tour and in the recording studio. Liam had his own band, Betchadupa, originally based in Auckland, then London before releasing a solo album, I'll Be Lightning in 2008. He also played in Crowded House's touring band lineup in 2007. Elroy Finn is also following in his father and brother's musical footsteps as drummer for the psychobilly band The Tricks and has previously filled in on drums for Cut Off Your Hands. Elroy began touring as Liam's drummer in 2011 to promote Liam's second album 'FOMO'.
Recent work
Both Tim and Neil Finn share the stage and have released an album under the name The Finn Brothers. They have also performed with Neil Finn's son Liam Finn.[citation needed]
Neil Finn's "Song of the Lonely Mountain" was composed for end credits of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. His sons Elroy and Liam perform with him.[13]
Neil Finn solo discography
This discography relates to solo releases by Neil Finn only. See Split Enz discography, Crowded House discography and The Finn Brothers' discography for other related works.
Albums
| Album | Release | Charts | Singles | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Try Whistling This | 1998
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| Sessions at West 54th | 2000
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| One Nil | 2001
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| 7 Worlds Collide | 2001
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| The Sun Came Out | 2009
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Singles
| Date | Single | Album | Charts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | AU | UK | |||
| 1996-06 | "Message to My Girl" (ENZSO with Neil Finn) |
ENZSO | – | 56 | – |
| 1998-06-14 | "Sinner" | Try Whistling This | – | 40 | 39 |
| 1998-06-21 | "She Will Have Her Way" | Try Whistling This | 19 | 61 | 26 |
| 1999-02 | "Last One Standing" | Try Whistling This | – | – | – |
| 1999-06-27 | "I Can See Clearly Now" | 16 | 88 | – | |
| 1999-10-03 | "Can You Hear Us" | 1 | – | – | |
| 2001-03-25 | "Rest of the Day Off" | One Nil | 29 | 77 | – |
| 2001–04 | "Wherever You Are" | One Nil | – | – | 32 |
| 2001-07-24 | "Last to Know" | One Nil | – | – | – |
| 2001–09 | "Hole In the Ice" | One Nil | – | – | 43 |
| 2001–11 | "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" | 7 Worlds Collide | – | – | – |
Other contributions
As performer
- Diana, Princess of Wales: Tribute (1997) - "Don't Dream It's Over (acoustic)"
- Antz Soundtrack (1998) – "I Can See Clearly Now"
- Andrew Denton Breakfast Show Musical Challenge (2000) – "Billie Jean"
- Andrew Denton's Musical Challenge V.2: Even More Challenged (2001) – "Sexual Healing"
- Through Space To Your Place (2001) – "Norwegian Wood"
- Live at the World Café: Vol. 15 - Handcrafted (2002, World Café) – "Driving Me Mad"
- 107.1 KGSR Radio Austin - Broadcasts Vol.10 (2002) – "Private Universe"
- Maybe This Christmas (2002) – "Sweet Secret Peace"
As producer
- "No Commotion" (1983, single) - Karen Ansell
- Greenstone (1994, album) - Emma Paki
- Twist (1994, album) - Dave Dobbyn
- Nature (1995, album) - The Mutton Birds
- Moana and The Moahunters (1998, album) - Moana and The Moahunters
- Brand New (1999, album) (as executive producer) - The Stereo Bus
- Soul Lost Companion (1999, album) - Mark Lizotte
As session musician
- Just Drove Thru Town (1979, album) - Citizen Band
- Sing (1984, album) - Big Choir
- "Everything To Live For" (1986, maxi-single) - The Rock Party
- Rikki & Pete (1988, soundtrack)[15]
Awards
APRA Awards
- 2002 Silver Scroll Award: "Turn and Run"
- Most Performed Work Overseas (1994): Neil Finn & Tim Finn, "Weather With You" (with Crowded House)
- Most Performed Work Overseas (1995, 2000-1, 2003 - present): Neil Finn, "Don't Dream It's Over" (with Crowded House)
RIANZ New Zealand Music Awards
The New Zealand Music Awards are awarded annually by the RIANZ in New Zealand.
| Year | Award[16] | Work | With | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | International Achievement | Split Enz | Nominated | |
| 1987 | International Achievement | Neil Finn | Won | |
| 1988 | International Achievement | Neil Finn | Won | |
| 1992 | Best Songwriter | "Fall At Your Feet" | Neil Finn, Crowded House | Won |
| "It's Only Natural" | with Tim Finn, Crowded House | Nominated | ||
| 1994 | International Achievement | Crowded House | Won | |
| 1995 | Best Producer | "Twist" | Nominated | |
| "Greenstone" | Nominated | |||
| Best Songwriter | "Private Universe" | Won | ||
| International Achievement | Crowded House | Won | ||
| 1996 | Album of the Year | Finn | Finn Brothers | Nominated |
| Best Group | Finn Brothers | Nominated | ||
| International Achievement: | Finn Brothers | Nominated | ||
| Best Cover | Finn | Neil Finn and Wayne Conway | Nominated | |
| 1997 | International Achievement | Crowded House | Nominated | |
| 1999 | Album of the Year | Try Whistling This | solo | Nominated |
| Top Male Vocalist | solo | Won | ||
| International Achievement: | solo | Nominated | ||
| Best Songwriter | "She Will Have Her Way" | solo | Nominated | |
| 2002 | Album of the Year | One Nil | solo | Nominated |
| Top Male Vocalist | One Nil | solo | Won | |
| 2005 | Album of the Year | Everyone Is Here | Finn Brothers | Nominated |
| Single of the Year | "Won't Give In" | Finn Brothers | Nominated | |
| International Achievement Award | Everyone Is Here | Finn Brothers | Won |
References
Citations
- ^ Apter 2010, p. 8.
- ^ a b Apter 2010, pp. 9–10.
- ^ Apter 2010, p. 9.
- ^ Apter 2010, p. 16.
- ^ Apter 2010, p. 19.
- ^ Apter 2010, p. 22.
- ^ Apter 2010, p. 25.
- ^ Apter 2010, p. 27.
- ^ Apter 2010, p. 41.
- ^ Apter 2010, p. 49.
- ^ "No. 53334". The London Gazette (invalid
|supp=(help)). 11 June 1993. - ^ a b c Chick, Stevie (25 August 2011). "No more Crowded House: Neil Finn's new band, Pajama Club". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Neil Finn Reaches Epic Heights on 'Song of the Lonely Mountain' – Song Premiere". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
- ^ a b Holmgren, Magnus. "The Rock Party". Australian Rock Database. hem.passagen.se. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
- ^ Holmgren, Magnus. "Neil Finn Discography". Australian Rock Database. hem.passagen.se. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
- ^ "Past Winners". nzmusicawards.co.nz. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
Sources
- Apter, Jeff (2010). Together Alone. Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-381-4.
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Bibliography
- Bourke, Chris (1997). Crowded House: something so strong. Sydney, Australia: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 0-7329-0886-8.
- Chunn, Mike (1992). Stranger than fiction: the life and times of Split Enz. Wellington, New Zealand: GP Publications. ISBN 1-86956-050-7.
- Dix, John (2005). Stranded in Paradise: New Zealand Rock and Roll, 1955 to the Modern Era. New Zealand: Penguin Group. ISBN 0-14-301953-8.
- Doole, Kerry; Twomey, Chris (1999). Crowded House: Private Universe. Ingram Publisher Services. ISBN 0711966532.
External links
- Official website
- Neil Finn: Songwriter
- Interview with Neil Finn : The Pajama Club
- Trouser Press commentary on Crowded House, Neil Finn and Tim Finn discography
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
| Warning | Local parameters are deprecated. |
- Use dmy dates from November 2012
- 1958 births
- Living people
- Crowded House members
- New Zealand expatriates in Australia
- New Zealand expatriates in the United States
- New Zealand guitarists
- New Zealand pop singers
- New Zealand Roman Catholics
- New Zealand songwriters
- New Zealand people of Irish descent
- Officers of the Order of the British Empire
- People from Te Awamutu
- Split Enz members
- Pajama Club members
- New Zealand session musicians