Ever since he put his handsome head above the parapet, Harper Finn has been answering questions about that surname of his. Yes, he is the son of Tim Finn, the founder of Split Enz who these days is in musical semiretirement, knocking out the occasional musical, opera or albums with old mates.
Meanwhile, his Sydneyborn, Auckland-raised son is a young man in a hurry. He just might be our next international pop star. Right now, the 24-year-old is in New York, hopefully shifting into the post-pandemic hello-world phase of his solo career as his EP Newcomer is released.
It's coming up three years since Finn began releasing his sophisticated, occasionally 1980s-tinged pop songs to steadily increasing streaming numbers. His 2020 track Dance Away These Days is heading towards 3.5 million plays on Spotify, and the earlier Conversations (With the Moon) towards a million.
On songs like those, and their accompanying videos, it might seem he has inherited a few things from his father: a great head of hair underlined by serious eyebrows, a sweet falsetto, a natural showmanship when standing behind the mic and a sweet way with a tune when seated at the piano.
And talking to Finn the younger a week or two before he left for the US, where he is signed to Atlantic Records via his ties to Warner Music New Zealand, there are strong echoes of another family trait the self-belief that got his father and his Uncle Neil places in their heyday. The force is strong with this one.
Denne historien er fra May 21 - 27, 2022-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra May 21 - 27, 2022-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
