“It’s been an exciting time.” says Paul Finn, frontman and songwriter for SOMEFINN. Since releasing their debut album, ‘…Tsk, Tsk…’, but especially since the release of their two singles, ‘Nobody’s Fool’, and ‘Starlet’s Dream’, they have seen rapidly growing interest in their unique take on alternative art-rock. “We have four gigs lined up this month. It’s hard to believe – we’re really grateful for it.”
‘Contact’ marks the band’s third single from their debut album, a darkly alluring song about seeking connection. A highly percussive piece, Finn describes it as ‘tribal’. “It’s a passion cry, a crying out for touch.”
The composition has a bodily quality to it. The bass grooves persuasively, in tandem with Finn’s outstanding signature vocal. It is a voice which is piercing and devastating, and a delivery reminiscent of the charming relentlessness of David Bowie. “All I ask is an act of contact,” he repeats in the chorus, different each time, pulling on the listener’s heart more with every turn.
What’s your story as an artist?
Very simple, I enjoyed the state of flow that singing and creating songs brings to my life. Everything else seems to be filler around that personal aspect of the creative process.as a kid I thought it would allow me to swear without having to apologise…….
What do you want your music to communicate?
Small ideas can have a profound impact on an individual’s life and you may never know.
What are some sources of inspiration for your storytelling?
Movies and the cinema are great retreats to lose yourself in something, it always a new experience for me and leads to sparks of creativity.
Who is an artist that you look up to more than others today?
Kendrick Lamar is one of my favourite artists, an amazing gift of song writing and clearly in a state of complete flow when he tells his stories.
What’s the record or artist that made you realize you wanted to be an artist?
I was staying in an abandoned house with a power cable running from a house nearby listening to no code by pearl jam. And it was such a beautiful record that encapsulates so many genres of the past 40 years. It convinced me of what was possible.
Tell us about your latest release and how it came about
CONTACT was built around a simple percussive track with a push and pull rhythm pulsated by the bass. The lyrics took a while to flesh out and the chorus itself had many iterations with differing lyrics. It could have been very different as one demo exists where its basically a piano ballad. When it came to the recording of the drums and bass i had everything except the chorus hook. I had the rhythm of the melody but not the words. I almost left it cause i couldn’t settle on the words. But glad I persevered.
What inspires your sound?
Tinkering with different found sounds, building up percussion and layering abstract sounds on top of one another. I don’t start with a finished idea in mind. I start with nothing and build upon nothing with something. Singing in the shower is one source of inspiration. Mostly i make an instrument and hit it or hit something else with it and record a little and build upon that.
What’s your favorite tune of yours?
“nobodies fool” from the album “..tsk, tsk…” i’m particularly proud of it musically and lyrically.
Where are some things you really want to accomplish as an artist?
To create, that’s all I care about, all the added superfluous distractions mean little. So I just really enjoy creating art, whether it’s music, a video, a painting or just writing.
Favorite lyric you ever wrote?
A song I’m working on at the moment has this lyric i like: .
“I’m awake when i shouldn’t be,
Might hear something,
i shouldn’t hear.”
Was there ever a moment when you felt like giving up?
Yeah, in fact I have given up multiple times. And took a complete break from music. I focused on other creative outlets, but music, being the passion that it is, always comes back.
What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
You can cook fish in a dishwasher. Wrap it in tinfoil. Viola.
Where do you think the next game changer will be in the music industry and entertainment scene?
AI generated movies, music and books. No human interaction, that’s where its heading unless original independent artists are supported.