Liam Finn will perform along with Eliza-Jane Barnes at the Rock N Roll hotel tomorrow.
Most one-man bands aren’t like Liam Finn. Finn is a small New Zealander who runs from instrument to instrument on stage, pounding out a beat on his drum kit, recording it for a loop and then hopping to his guitar and vocal mic.
Although Finn is now joined on tour by Eliza-Jane Barnes on vocals and other instruments, Finn is the one playing multiple guitar parts at the same time and still playing surprisingly attention-grabbing drum parts — all while singing his sweetly melodic pop-rock songs. Finn’s trick in the live setting is looping by recording a part and then playing it back repeatedly.
Finn and Barnes will be back in the area with their loop-centric show at the Rock N Roll Hotel tomorrow, touring in support of a new EP, Champagne in Seashells.
With a 2008 solo album, I’ll Be Lightning, out under his own name, Finn decided to shine a bit more light on Barnes, whose name joins him on the EP’s artist credits and on the pair’s current headlining tour.
“I guess it’s because we’ve been playing together for the last few years, and she’d become such a big part of the live show and such a big part of the dynamic that we formed,” Finn said about adding Barnes’ name to the bill. “I wanted to make an EP that documented that as well as get to write some songs for a female voice and such. It was a lot more of a collaborative thing, and I wanted to make it feel more like a band than just a solo project.”
Barnes’ presence is felt throughout Champagne in Seashells and her contributions make for a more confident and assertive record — a contrast to the coziness and comfort found in I’ll Be Lightning. The newly reorganized partnership should only increase the potential for entertainment at the show.
“I think that was the thing I was missing the most about performing just on my own,” Finn said. “Not having the harmonies, and not having someone to bounce off of onstage. It’s great seeing someone perform on their own, but it’s a different experience when the energy is being reciprocated from someone else onstage. It’s more interesting to watch, in my opinion.”
Finn and Barnes both grew up as children of famous musicians. Finn’s father Neil is the frontman of Crowded House and Barnes’ dad is a popular Australian rock vocalist.
“I guess it’s just always been there, and it’s always been most of the time an enjoyable thing to do,” Finn said about music. “I definitely think over the last 10 years I’ve found how to make it the most enjoyable as well and not let it stress me out. It is a passion, and I feel really lucky to have made a career out of a passion that also has its times of stress and anxiety. But I think it’s all about learning how to keep yourself happy and make the most of it.”
Finn says that being on the road is hard and that maintaining his happiness means making sure each show he delivers is a fulfilling one.
“You do so much driving, and you’re always away from home,” he said. “You never really have a home and that can be kind of unsettling. But the one hour that you play at the end of the day really makes it feel worth it, so you’ve really got to make sure that that part of it is fun and that you enjoy who you’re making music with and who you surround yourself with. I’m really lucky to have Eliza-Jane. And my oldest friend in the world, Sam, is my tour manager, so I’ve really got good sorts of people around me.”
Liam Finn and Eliza-Jane Barnes will play at the Rock N Roll Hotel tomorrow. Doors are 8 p.m. Tickets cost $15.
rhiggins@umdbk.com
