Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of Inside the Studio on iHeart Radio. My name's Jordan runt Dog, but enough about me, my guest today is a legendary musician and songwriter who hails from the land down Under, New Zealand, to be specific. He first hit the global music scene as a member of the pop rock group Split Ends alongside his brother Tim in the late seventies. When the band split, he put together a new one of his own.
After several incarnations, they became known as Crowded House, one of the best loved bands to ever come out of the Southern Hemisphere. They topped the charts in the US and around the world with a sublime Don't Dream It's Over. A string of superbly crafted singles followed, including better Be Home Soon When You Come and something So Strong to name but a few. For the last decade, he's worked solo with a series of family members, and perhaps most famously,
is one of the newest members of Fleetwood Mac. But now he's back with a new Crowded House album. Dreamers Are Waiting is the band's first new record in over a decade, and it Teacher's help from band made Nick Seymour longtime collaborator Mitchell Froom, not to mention his own sons, Liam and el Roy. I'm so happy to welcome Neil Finn. I'm very happy to be here. Oh my goodness, so much to ask you. But first and foremost Crowded House or Bag dreamers are waiting your first new album since
why now? What made you decide it was time for another Crowded House record? Well, I'm restless by nature, so I do a bunch of stuff, you know, on my own and with various other collaborators, And in recent times I've played quite a lot with my sons, Liam and Elroy, both of whom have become my favorite musicians in the world. And I just there was just this idea congealed in my mind. Played with Nick recently as well in a
different context, and Mitchell and another show. So there was all these people from the past and people that deeply connected to Crowded House, and I suddenly realized that a five piece line up of Crowded House with all of these people who really have some spiritual and soulful connection to the band, might be a tremendously exciting thing and might offer great potential and I can also get me off the back of the feet. With Matt Tour, I had a new found appreciation for classic bands and how
they can be reimagined. And you know, no band more so than Fleetwood Mac can still maintain that incredible charisma and meaning for so many people. What is it like you imagine making music with your sons? I mean that must be really special that to have that familiar bond but also a musical bind. What's that been like for you? Well, it came in exactly the right time. And we, as I said, Liam and Ori have been developing their own skills for many years now, and as songwriters arrangers, we've
played together a lot. So in a way, that musical relationship was caught up with our parental father son relationship and become almost independent of it. Certainly the instincts and intuitions of family count for a lot, but when we all walk into the room together, it's very much on an equal basis musically. You know, some some people get the pleasure of playing with their kids. I would say it's very rare when it's a it feels like an
equal collaboration. It's always bound to be some hierarchy. Hey, I get the final start in my songs, you know, like there's ation to be made, but it's all for one, one for all in this band. It speaking of it being a family affair, I understand that you your grand son played a part in the track whatever you Want, the lead single from the album. What role did he play? Understanding he inspired the song in a way? Well, he did. It was it was merely a fraction of an idea
when he first heard it. It was on a demo and Liam was playing along trying to get some ideas for it as well, and but he just started singing it, jumping around him, going and whatever you want, whatever you want. So we sort of figured it was a pretty good sign and it gave us some inspiration. Really, he didn't come up with any other lines that I can remember,
but he just called onto that really fast. You know, nothing like having a small kid catch onto something to make you feel like you're on you have on your onto something. Yeah, it's such a great song and it feels so so perfect for this really uncertain time that we're in now, this age of misinformation, and the video is so great with mc de marco. He's he's watching television and the forecast is fear and anxiety. Tell me, tell me more about about the meeting of the song. Well,
it obviously came out of the time. I mean, the concept of yes man, sycophans and people surrounding people in power is not a new one. I'm sure ancient Rome was full of them, you know, people that would tell near anything while Rome burned. But it's certainly very much
of the time, you know, with politics. I don't even need to mention he who shall not be mentioned, but the level of gathering around those quite dishonest ideas and people being prepared to sell their soul to back them up and to keep their little part of the power structure is staggering, mind boggling. So that song definitely arose out of that. Watching this day after day on TV, people standing on stage is telling bare face lies and
you know, trying to keep their face straight. But it also occurred to us that it's the sort of self deception that you you convince yourself if that everything's all right. And in Max's case, he was asking the inanimate objects around the house to give him reassurance that he wasn't her had made a complete dick of himself. The night
before that. Of course, he probably had the expression I heard we would sell your own grandmother to stay in power, I believe was the expression I heard that they stuck with me quite a bit. Yeah, I probably should have tried to work down into the lyric too. It's the good bye. Don't be more about about how did the music start for this album? How much of the album
was made in lockdown? Did did COVID impact the mood of the songs and the manner that you recorded them, or did you have a healthy chunk out of the
way before. Well, we were fortunate because the timing on the record was that we recorded some rhythm tracks in Los Angeles all together in a room, as you know traditional bands do, and most of the rhythm tracks came about that way, but we didn't get a chance to finish them in the studio because we went into lockdown, And so in some ways of perfect opportunity for everyone to get into their individual pods in isolation and try ideas which maybe you wouldn't get round from the studio
because you would think I'm holding everybody up here. We're just gonna I don't know if it's going to work, but it enabled quite a lot of experimentation, so I'd say some of the atmosphere of the songs it definitely emerged through through lockdown, and some of the songs changed a little bit structurally in every way. There are a few, however, that are pretty very similar to how we put them down on the on the floor with live vocals and everything.
It sounds like that you and your songs and Mitchell were in the l A area, and I think Nick was, I believe in Ireland. Was it hard to to not have that chemistry and energy in the same room or did you adapt quite quickly to the zoom and email sessions. Well, like I said, we were fortunate we had these tracks already,
so we'd all shared those. The zoom calls were tremendously helpful, and we were sending files to each other, and you know, Mitchell had worked on one song one day and then I'd work on the next, and we're making great gains and comparing notes, and Nick was sending surprising, you know, heart parts and French horn parts in places he has no business being. But because he was home, you know, he was able to try things and some of them
were really good. So I think it was quite we used it well and it was quite an important part of the creative process. You later Singles released a few weeks back, Playing with Fire, an amazing, infectious track. I love those Burt Backer Act style horns that are in the background. I was, it's so great. Can you tell
me a little more about about that song. I understand it came from from more of a jam, right, Yeah, we were jamming and in those sessions at Valentine and came up with well, I mean the chords, I guess, and the and the basis of the melody. But I changed it around once we got out of the studio and into lockdown and did a bit of a major reconstruction job. It's a Frankenstein arrangement. Now it's been compiled from different parts, but it really went through a massive transformation.
I was delighted the way it turned out, because it didn't suggest that whole sort of back erect swingers, swingle singers kind of love was there to start off with. But it was a really nice discovery one day and I did it with my voice and then sent it to Mitchell and he sent it back with all these beautiful brass parts on it. So yeah, it's uplifting. Oh, I love it so much. I read it. Much of this is true, and this is this is a serious music nerd question. I'm sorry in advance that some of
this was recorded at United on Sunset. Is that is that true? Yeah? Some of it was here, legendary facility. Brian Wilson made pet sounds there and Phil Specter did as well, sounds stuff that What was it like working in a in a venue like that was such a cool history. There is gravitas in those places that is really fun, and they sound great. They've got amazing geared by microphones, and the atmosphere deffinitely counts for something for sure. So we went to both two really quite amazing studios.
We started in Valentine, which was a place that was hadn't been open since the sixties, but they found they reopened it about four years ago and still got the shag pile carpet on the wall. It's it's a real time piece. You know, what's the song? There's a there's a few famous songs that have come out of there, but every all a studio from that area was turning out some good stuff. So we we like, we like recording there. I've got a studio back here in Augan
and it's a great place as well. But something about being away from your normal environment is good. There's not so many distractions. Good point. Was it a relief in a way to have this project to focus on during this incredibly tumultuous, stressful time in the world. It certainly was. We were very fortunate and we had each other doing a band rick as well. It was fantastic because there
was so much communication collaboration going on. We felt like we had something between us that we could share and we had we had a good laugh in the midst of it, you know, on Zoom and something to see through that process. So yeah, in terms of who was suffering from the pandemic, we know, you know, thousand millions words. So I don't want to be glib about the fact, but it was a purely accident of circumstance. But we felt like we were quite lucky and we had a
music to work on. We were safe, we were near the family, and you know, I was climbing the Hollywood Hills every day and going for a walk to Griffith Observatory and seeing far more wildlife than I normally did, so you know, there was an upside. Now I was wondering about for your creative process. Do you rate every day almost like someone would would would do a yoga practice or jog every day, or do you only rate when you have something in your mind that that you
want to get out. I feel I should write every day. I don't, but in my music room here, so this is where I write, and I come in with the intention of playing the piano, and I do most days, but I get distracted with the fair is of the day and I'll end up Yeah. I mean, you know, it's just the kind of a process of willing yourself into that mode where you're dreaming away and just playing like a child. But sometimes daily life it's hard to deliver up that moment. But I do try and maintain
a practice of coming in every day at least. How you superstitious about it at all? Are there any instruments that you feel like a lucky instrument or a certain time of the day or only right after a cup of coffee or something like that. Not really, I'm not. I'm not a superstitious person. And ultimately I just believe that inspiration strikes when you once you're working, you know, if you would rely on it to start working, you'd
end up feeling a bit hopeless most days. What do you do when you start to you take a breather and come back to it, or just just willpower and plow through. It depends depends on how much energy I have on the day. Sometimes if you get a good idea, it's tempting to sort of go wow and just luxuriating that little idea and go off and have a break, and when you come back you're intending to finish it.
But it's really hard once you're out of that that moment of you know, the moment of inspiration does strike you sort of should try and mind it for as much as you can get at the time, it's hard to get back into the same frame of mind. Did did you you mentioned that that being on tour with Fleetwood Mac kind of put you back in the crowd at househead Space. Did it influence you on a musical level? Did somehow playing those songs take you to a different
place musically when you started composing for this album. I think it influenced me musically, but I couldn't say specifically. Will point to a song where you know I'm evoking a Fleetwood mac mentality. It just was more the thrill of singing somebody else's songs and singing high and outgoing manner. It definitely influenced what I wanted to do on this record in a in a more sort of holistic way, I suppose. I mean, that must have been an unforgettable
experience for so many reasons. But is there any like one lesson that that your time on the on the road with them taught you that that really sticks with you? Well, I mean, they were meticulous about putting the show together musically. We had a two month rehearsal and now I've never spent that long or hardly even spent that long one to it, but but we could have done it in a month. But what I really appreciated about that it was it gave the chance for the songs to nuances
of the record records to be done really well. And we were usually on the fly with crowded house, and we would do it two or three days rehearsal and be out and when to have great gigs. But some of the nuances would get lost along the way. And I'm reminded now that Liam and al Roy and Mitchell all. They all care about those nuances and they've probably been listening to us playing for the last teen years ago.
Oh I missed that little part. They didn't not doing that little part, you know, and so they've learned them all. And the tour we just did of New Zealand was fantastic because some of these signature little parts are being played beautifully, their little hit you know, the little hairs on the back of your neck moments. And it was the same with Fleetwood. Mac. I really appreciated the devil level of attentions. Detail you mentioned going on a tour
of New Zealand. I mean where I am right now in the United States, I mean that tours are still a pretty far away off a So how how was that for you? Getting back out there. It's amazing and we obviously knew how lucky we were. It was. You know, every other musician we know in the world was shaking their heads, going you lucky bastards. So we've made most of it and we really enjoyed every minute the audiences.
We had a sense of wonder as well. I think they've navigated it well down here, our government, and we've been lucky. So we just grabbed that opportunity right up to the last minute. I could have all four and if there had him in any cases, but yeah, we'd like people a night going nuts and all in the
room together. It was just phenomenal. Is a live, constant streaming event of it coming up in the next couple of weeks, and I'm really really excited for people to see it because I think the band is on fire, and I think there's an undeniable spirit and we're playing just playing so well. So yeah, if you've got even Remot's interest in Crowded House, be prepared to be transformed. Oh my gosh, and you mentioned I meant it as this earlier. You have a Mitchell in the band full time.
He played on your first three albums, but from my understanding, declined to join to produce pursue production work. How did you did you get him in full time? Now, the timing was right for him and he wanted We asked him. We'd asked him to join way back in the day when he first did our record, but he was very intent on becoming a great producer that he's probably had. He's had years to ponder. Now, what a bad mistake that was, and when I asked him again, he jumped
at it, and God, he's enjoying it. You know, being in a band jamming in a room is really He's a really good, instinctive, intuitive musician. Has been in a role for years where he's had to make decisions all the time, and the first time we were jamming when we don't have to make decisions, you just have to jam, he kept sort of stopping and go, well, we could make that first thing, the first verse, and saying, let's just take it easy. We're not a record yet, we're
just jamming. You know that he's a really gifted jammer, and now he's loving that. You know, can't stop him. I love I love the B three sound that he has and all of his keyboard parts, so yeah, he's a master on the B three. It was such a joy to see those to the audiences faces light up when he started the solo and don't dream it so because no one plays it like him. You know, it's been amazing. Is there a song that that really you look forward to more than any l to performing each night?
You know? Luckily the set that we put together for New Zealum was full of songs and I'm really loved playing. There's so many and every night maybe a different one comes through that you just revel in because you're actually hitting it an unusually good form. I really enjoy a song called Private Universe, which is off the album Together Alone.
Maybe not one of our most known songs in America, it's quite well known near and it's it's got a quite a different groove, very atmospheric and mysterious and has a big old jum and bongo work out at the end on two on stage, which was really exciting, and so I always used to look forward to that. It was kind of like the emotional high point of the set right in the middle of the set, and the lights were spectacular to suit. But what is next for for you and crowded house? What can fans look forward
to this year? Well, as soon as we can get over, we'll be coming to play. We'll be putting out a bunch of stuff in the meantime. As I said, the concert, the live concert, which is turned out incredibly well, is out within weeks, so hopefully people can tune in and get a taste of what we'll be doing when we do come. And I would think we're probably we will.
We will be working on new material this year, given that the you know, we're still having to deal with a bit of isolation, not as busy as schedule out there in the general public. So yeah, we're going to focus on some new songs and try and get another album up by next year. Amazing, my, my, My last question, has there been a silver lining for us last year for you, something that maybe the slowing down taught you or or made you a little more introspective, or there
were some silver linings for us? And like I said, you know, there was an accident of our circumstances to have some good fortune. But yeah, I mean, you notice when you have to shut down certain parts of your life, you notice the parts that you've been maybe neglecting or not fully appreciating. I'm lucky enough to have a wonderful um, a couple of grandchildren, and a family that's close by, and we'll get on really well. So we've had really
good family time. I would say, we've all got closer together, and I'm appreciating being back in New Zealand, the good things about this place more and more evident. Yeah, looking, you know, like other things, I'm not I'm not missing it and things as much as I thought I might. The plane travel I'm not missing. Getting there is good, but you know, the trackling and all the miles on the road and all that stuff. But it'll be interesting to see when we start up. I did so on
the dept to that quite well again. Can wait to see you back at there soon. Neil. Thank you so much for your music and your time today. It's been a real pleasure. Thank you, pleasure talking to you. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Inside the Studio, a production of I Heart Radio. For more episodes of Inside the Studio or other fantastic shows, check out the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.