Rolling_Stone_Australia_October_2017

N

eilfinnhasjustcomplet-

edaSkypecallwithafanfrom

SanFrancisco.It’saftermid-

night on the west coast of Amer-

ica,butinAuckland,NewZealand,the

clockhasjuststruck7.25pm.Finnisless

than half an hour into the first of four re-

cording/rehearsal sessions he’s live stream-

ing throughout August – one every Friday,

building up to the last one of the month,

whenhe’llrecordhisnewalbum,Out of

Silence,in a four-hour stint streamed live

onthenet.Thisearlyintoproceedings,he’s

clearlythrilledwithhowit’sallgoing.“I

wouldlovetodothiseveryweekofmylife

for the next 30 years,” he grins.

Finn started experimenting with web-

castingbackin2001–“Wehadtobring

in massive servers, and I think we only

had200or300peoplewatchingitatonce

beforethewholethingwentdown.But

it felt very exciting” – and last year live

streamed a Crowded House rehearsal from

his Roundhead Studios complex prior to

their Opera House shows in November.

Tonight, in the same studio, Finn has

gathered a group of friends (such as Tiny

Ruins’HollieFullbrook,DonMcGlashan

and strings arranger Victoria Kelly) and

family (son Elroy, nephew Harper) and cor-

ralled them into a 12-member choir. A two-

piece string section is also present, which

by the time the album is recorded on Au-

gust 25th will have swelled to a 20-piece or-

chestra. Despite the potentially high pres-

surescenario–atsomepointthisevening

they’ll record the album’s first single, “More

ThanOneOfYou”,infrontoftheonlineau-

dience – the feeling in the softly-lit room

is akin to a laughter-filled campfire gath-

ering,withthesingerssittinginahorse

shoe configuration around a table laden

withbottlesofwineandlyricsheets,while

Finn conducts proceedings from behind

his keyboard.

As the 59-year-old takes questions from

fans via Skype, his banter is as relaxed –

“Your son’s name is Finn,” he quips to Lisa

fromNorthampton,UK.“Isitservingyou

well?”–asthesetlistisimpromptu.After

taking a Skype call from Sarah in Brisbane

he starts singing Scouting song “Ging Gang

Goolie”inthestyleofTomWaits;after

a question from Nancy in Mexico about

what song he’d sing to aliens, he launches

intoBowie’s“Starman”,completewithim-

provised backing vocals. Snippets of new

R&R

24 | Rolling Stone | RollingStoneAus.com October, 2017

Behind the scenes as the New Zealander live streams the

recording of his new album, ‘Out of Silence’

BY ROD YATES

Neil Finn’s Open Mic Night

LIVE WITHOUT A NET

Finn at Roundhead

Studios on August

4th, with son Elroy

on guitar; and (inset)

members of the singing

group Finn put together

for the session.