Many musicians take a hiatus from their respective bands to embark on a solo career. Few of them take such a literal approach to the “solo” tag as Liam Finn.
“I’ll Be Lightning,” the New Zealander’s debut album, is truly a one-man affair. With very few exceptions, Mr. Finn wrote, recorded, produced and mixed the album. He also played most of its instrumental parts, although three select musicians were allowed to contribute. One was Neil Finn, legendary frontman for Crowded House and Liam’s father.
“Making my first solo record was like having the luxury of making my first record again,” says the younger Mr. Finn, who first rose to fame in Auckland as a member of the teenage rock band Betchadupa. “There’s something to be said for that, because nothing is premeditated and you’re allowed to experiment. You don’t feel like you have to follow rules. It would be nice to do that with every musical project, really - to make it feel new each time.”
There’s certainly something novel about Mr. Finn’s material. Although rooted in the classic pop tradition with gorgeous harmonies, melodies and guitar-based hooks, the songs also have a feeling of spontaneity. Appropriately, many of them were composed through the use of “loop pedals.”
Mr. Finn would record a single instrument, “loop” the recorded segment to play repeatedly, and record additional parts atop the original phrase. It’s a practice that has earned him a good deal of praise at home and abroad, and it also fuels his concerts with unique energy.
“It’s getting more and more crazy,” he says, laughing at his increased devotion to loops. “On this tour, I’ve started introducing live drum loops into the mix, which is pretty dangerous because it puts me on the edge of complete disaster.” Should Mr. Finn flub a drumbeat while using his loop pedal, the mistake will play on repeatedly until the song’s conclusion. “You have to be quick on your toes,” he explains, “and I think I really thrive off that sort of pressure.”
Mr. Finn recently added singer E.J. Barnes to his fiery routine onstage. “She’s really natural and can sing harmonies to my songs without really knowing them,” he says jokingly. “I think even to this day, she doesn’t know all the words to the songs. She just knows the vowel sounds.”
All joking aside, Mr. Finn’s future is looking bright. He stays in contact with his friends from Betchadupa and says he would love to play with them again. He recently played several concerts with Pearl Jam’s outspoken vocalist, Eddie Vedder, and he’ll embark on a headlining tour later this year.
“This is the first time we’ve been able to afford a tour bus,” he says excitedly. “It’s certainly a step up from the ol’ cramped van. Now we get to lounge on couches and watch DVDs during the 10 hour drives.”
He goes on to list his additional plans: a year-capping tour in Europe with the Black Keys, a return to New Zealand for Christmas and a much-needed break during the holidays.
Dad must be proud.
• Liam Finn will be at the Warner Theatre Saturday and Sunday with Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and tickets cost $77. Those wishing to catch a solo Liam Finn show are in luck, as he returns on Sept. 6 for an 8:30 p.m. show at the Rock & Roll Hotel. Tickets to that show are $14.
A soul man in full
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Isaac Hayes helped shape the funky, sultry genre known as Memphis soul. At the same time, he laid the groundwork for modern rap by delivering rhythmic monologues in a husky, confident speaking voice. Albums such as “Hot Buttered Soul” and “Shaft” made him a respected star in America; they have since become some of the most iconic records of their time.
Although he will be forever championed as a pioneer of soul music, Mr. Hayes also displayed an ability to reinvent himself with each decade. He began his career as a songwriter for Stax Records, where, with writing partner David Porter, he composed such classics as Sam and Dave’s “Soul Man,” “Hold on I’m Comin” and the soulful ballad “When Something Is Wrong With My Baby.” Following his commercial peak in the 1970s, he scored another hit in the 1980s with “Ike’s Rap VIII.” While some contemporary rappers flaunt a hedonistic lifestyle in their lyrics, “Ike’s Rap” was a socially conscious single that infused urban music with a strong anti-drug message.
Mr. Hayes returned to popularity in the late 1990s as Chef, a character on the animated “South Park” television series. The role often required him to sing, and one of Chef’s songs topped the charts in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Humorous and often bawdy, Chef’s character proved that Mr. Hayes wasn’t above self-mockery. After all, he had pioneered the sultry sounds of soul three decades earlier. As an older man, he good-naturedly parodied the very genre he helped construct.
Isaac Hayes was an urban Renaissance man, a musician whose talents extended far beyond the confines of the recording studio. He will be remembered by generations of fans across a multiplicity of mediums, from music to film to television.
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