During the mid-1980s, Crowded House was among an influx of pop/rock bands from Down Under that made waves on the American pop charts. Led by New Zealand native Neil Finn on vocals/guitar, with bassist Nick Seymour and drummer Paul Hester, the trio’s literate songcraft and jovial concert antics helped them stand out from the pack.
Their self-titled 1986 debut went platinum and spawned “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and “Something So Strong” – both top 10 singles on Billboard’s Hot 100. Alt-rock radio hits “It’s Only Natural,” “Chocolate Cake,” “Distant Sun” and “Locked Out” followed, until Crowded House called it quits in 1996.
A decade later, the group reunited with a revamped lineup, released two additional albums, and eventually went on an indefinite hiatus as Neil Finn resumed a solo career. By 2020, Crowded House resurfaced with Neil, his sons Liam (guitar) and Elroy (drums), and Seymour, plus Mitchell Froom (keyboards). The latter musician had overseen and played on the band’s initial three internationally successful albums before becoming an in-demand producer for Paul McCartney, Pretenders, Suzanne Vega and more.
The band’s eighth studio album Gravity Stairs was released in May and contains an enticing mix of atmospheric gems, sophisticated pop tunes and moderate rockers that unveil more nuances on successive listens. The wistful “Teenage Summer (Life’s Imitation)” and ethereal “The Howl” stand as tall as classic Crowded House material.
We checked in with Neil and Elroy Finn and Mitchell Froom as they rehearsed for the current North American tour in Nashville. The interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
Rock Cellar: What can Crowded House fans heading the shows this month look forward to experiencing?
Elroy Finn: We’re trying to bring out a few songs we haven’t really played ever as this lineup dating back to the early [days]. Also, some songs off the new record that we haven’t played yet. We’ll be diving headfirst into those, and really exciting ones – some of my favorite Crowded House songs.
Rock Cellar: While looking at set lists from your UK tour over this summer, I noticed you included up to half a dozen selections off Gravity Stairs. How did they go over with the crowds there?
Neil Finn: Really well. There was not a flood of people heading to the bar. That’s always the sign you look for with new songs. I think we’re playing them really well and they have an integrity onstage that people are recognizing. Also, one of the nice things about having a long-term relationship with an audience is not relying on the current hit or [single]. People come with an open mind expecting to hear deviations and diversions. We’ll obviously play a few of the touchstone songs, but it’s really nice to feel quite free with the audience, especially in America.
Rock Cellar: What feedback have you seen from your fans about Gravity Stairs so far?
Elroy Finn: Overall, I’ve been delighted with the reaction. Everyone I’ve spoken to and everything I’ve read has been positive and understands where we’re coming from. That’s all you really can ask.
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Rock Cellar: Gravity Stairs is one of the first Crowded House albums in a while where a majority of the songs were definitely earmarked for the band. How did that affect the overall scope?
Neil Finn: It’s really just the creative process of working them up into songs that the band becomes involved with. The process of writing, getting ideas and making little demos at home, is the same, no matter whether it’s solo or Crowded House or whatever. There might be the odd occasion where a song will come along that doesn’t sound like it needs a band to play on it. But that’s OK too, because we’re a very flexible band. We can create atmosphere. We don’t have to be rocking the pop combo thing the whole time either. It’s becoming a lot broader and we’re getting into areas that we didn’t before which is what bands should always be doing.
Rock Cellar: Neil, you’ve said the current lineup is a more soulful version of Crowded House. What are the biggest differences with your sons in the band these days?
Neil Finn: They both bring an enormous amount of experience now as writers and arrangers and an aesthetic they’ve developed on their own. I think there’s some personality. And the familial thing of knowing how to sing together and stay in the nuances of rhythm and everything. I would also throw Mitchell into that. He has a deep connection into the origins of the band even though he’s done a lot of amazing other things. I think for him, it runs close to being family as well. It’s a connection with an aesthetic that isn’t always there, but often is.
Rock Cellar: Does having family in the band add an extra intuitiveness while recording and performing onstage?
Elroy Finn: Definitely musically, it helps a lot to have a familial connection because it just means we’ve also been doing it for a long time as a family. We’ve played music since we were kids. Not in a serious capacity always, but we’ve got a lot of years together, as dad was saying, of understanding how the nuance of rhythm works, singing together, melodies and influences.
Rock Cellar: Elroy, you co-wrote “Blurry Grass” and “Thirsty” with Neil on the new album; Liam collaborated on a couple too. Did you jump at the opportunity to lessen the load on your dad in the songwriting department?
Elroy Finn: Yeah. If I get a chance to put something forward on a record, it’s a great feeling. There are only certain things that I feel would be up to the standard of the band. I want to be pretty serious about considering what I’m [offering] or not. At the same time, we’re developing as a band now and it feels like it can be very open. Some things might be born out of a very simple idea that we’ve done together or on our own.
Rock Cellar: You utilized more female backing vocal guests than usual on Gravity Stairs, which makes the ballads and mid-tempo tunes more exquisite. How did that come about?
Elroy Finn: It wasn’t conceived or overly thought out. It just works out that a woman’s voice sounds great on music a lot of the time. Dad, what do you think?
Neil Finn: In a way, it just happens. If I’m working on something and Sharon, my wife, is there and she’s got the voice for a certain range. I’ll say, ‘Try this.’ So, she ends up putting a couple touches on. We had [Irish actress] Lauryn [Canny], who’s Elroy’s girlfriend, sing on a couple of things and she’s got a lovely voice.
We didn’t bring them in the studio [saying], ‘This song needs a strong female vocal presence.’ There is one – “Night Song” – where I brought a girl [Zoe Moon] in to sing what essentially was a ‘feat,’ what they nowadays call a ‘featuring.’ She’s quite a big presence on “Night Song.” Otherwise, it happens on any given day, you roll something onto the tape, and it seems to stick.
Rock Cellar: “Night Song” has a jazz-type vibe at times. Then there’s the street chatter and other unusual time signatures and sounds. Was the song among the more difficult to nail down?
Neil Finn: I did that one off to the side before we got around to Crowded House sessions. It came from a jam on a Prophet-5 synthesizer. Elroy played drums on it early on. I made a lot of it up and put it together. It needed to find a place. I was really proud of it. It wasn’t conceived as a band track with Crowded House, but it fits the album really nicely.
Rock Cellar: Neil, the luxurious Gravity Stairs standout “Some Greater Plan” saw you co-write and duet with former Finn Brothers and Split Enz bandmate Tim, bringing yet another family member into the fold. Can you tell me about the background? It was inspired by your father’s old diary, right?
Neil Finn: My dad was in Italy in World War II. He had an experience when he was in Florence near the end of the war. He went out for a big night and then ended up in this ballroom which was supposed to be the officers’ club. He spied this glamorous-looking girl on the other side of the room, and he thought she was out of his class as he wrote in his diary. They had a little brief romance. He was in a bit of a dark mood up until that point. It was the inspiration for the song.
The song is also about the healing power of music, singing and joining together. It’s nice to have a bit of history to add to the current day.
Rock Cellar: The bouzouki players bring a distinct European-sounding flair to the tune. I can almost imagine walking down a cobblestone street to some historic café in Athens, Greece while listening.
Neil Finn: We know these Greek musicians who have actually been on tour with us a couple times. They provided the intro to that song. It does have a Mediterranean feel.
Rock Cellar: Mitchell: What has the experience been like for you as a full-fledged member of Crowded House and going full force in the creative process?
Mitchell Froom: It came at a great time in my life, where I was ready to move away more from producing records. From the beginning, I always wanted to be in a band, since I was 13 years old. It’s been great not being the producer of the record; just being another voice in the room. It’s a feeling like you’re welcomed into a family in the best sense of the word, where everyone is allowed to be themselves. There are no guilt trips. It’s a really nice feeling. I’ve enjoyed it on a lot of levels. I’m not an outgoing performer to say the least, but I really like playing with these guys. I’m happy [even] when I’m not playing something and just listening to them because it’s a really enjoyable experience.
Crowded House’s remaining Sept. 2024 tour dates:
September 10 Huber Heights, OH Rose Music Center at the Heights
September 11 Highland Park, IL Ravinia Festival
September 13 Omaha, NE The Astro Amphitheater
September 14 Waite Park, MN The Ledge Amphitheater
September 17 Vail, CO Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
September 18 Salt Lake City, UT Red Butte Garden
September 21 Woodinville, WA Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery
September 22 Bend, OR Hayden Homes Amphitheater
September 24 Santa Rosa, CA Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
September 25 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery
September 27 Dana Point, CA Ohana Festival
September 28 Paso Robles, CA Vina Robles Amphitheatre
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