Liam Finn could rightly be identified as a world citizen. The New Zealand native was a globetrotting toddler, accompanying father Neil Finn on Crowded House tours, repeating the experience as a young adult with his own band, the renowned Betchadupa. To record FOMO, the sophomore follow-up to 2007 solo debut I’ll Be Lightning, Finn relocated to London, but moved to New York City three years ago. Finn’s third solo set, The Nihilist, runs the gamut of his genetic and experiential influences. Finn will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our new feature on him.
Finn: I’ve loved Devo ever since I saw their videos as a child in the ’80s. The imagery really stuck. It was funny, they looked crazy, and the music was out of this world. Still to this day I find new things to draw inspiration from in Devo’s recordings, concepts and theatrics. The footage of them performing “Gut Feeling” for the first time is enthralling, and puts a spring in my step for the rest of the day. We covered it recently at a show, and it was probably the first time I’ve been so still onstage. Sadly two members of Devo passed away in the last year: drummer Alan Myers, and guitarist/keyboardist Bob Casale. The remaining members of the band announced that they will be touring the U.S. this summer, playing songs from their 1974-1977 period, which should be wild.
