Brian Timothy Finn (born 25 June 1952) is a New Zealand singer, songwriter, musician, and composer. He is best known as a founding member of

Split Enz Split Enz were a New Zealand band formed in 1972. Regarded as the first New Zealand band to gain significant recognition outside of Australasia, they were initially noted for their progressive rock, progressive/art rock sound, flamboyant visua ...

. Finn founded the band in 1972 with

Phil Judd Philip Raymond Judd (born 20 March 1953) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter known for being one of the founders of the bands Split Enz and The Swingers. Split Enz In 1972, Judd and Tim Finn founded the arty folk band Split Enz. In its early d ...

and served as lead singer and principal songwriter. Following Judd's departure in 1977, he was joined by brother

Neil Neil is a masculine name of Irish origin. The name is an anglicisation of the Irish ''Niall'' which is of disputed derivation. The Irish name may be derived from words meaning "cloud", "passionate", "victory", "honour" or "champion".. As a surname ...

. Finn wrote or co-wrote some of the band's best-known songs, including " I See Red" and " Six Months in a Leaky Boat". While still a member of Split Enz, he began a solo career, scoring the two hits "

Fraction Too Much Friction "Fraction Too Much Friction" is a song by New Zealand musician, Tim Finn, released in May 1983 as his debut single from his debut studio album, ''Escapade (Tim Finn album), Escapade''. The song reached number 2 on the New Zealand charts and numb ...

" and " Made My Day" in 1983; he left the band in early 1984, briefly returning for their farewell tour later that year. He reunited with Neil and subsequently joined

Crowded House Crowded House are an Australian-New Zealand rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Paul Hester (drums), who were both for ...

for their third album '' Woodface'', co-writing the majority of the songs on the album, including the hits " Four Seasons in One Day", " Weather with You" and " It's Only Natural". Leaving the band after the album's release, he reunited with Neil again later in the 1990s under the name Finn Brothers. Finn has participated in various collaborations with other artists, including former Split Enz members, and has also composed scores for films and musicals. Along with his brother, Finn was appointed Officer of the Order of British Empire in 1993 for his services to music.

Early life and education

Brian Timothy Finn was born on 25 June 1952 in

Te Awamutu Te Awamutu is a town in the Waikato, Waikato region in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the council seat of the Waipā District and serves as a service town for the farming communities which surround it. Te Awamutu is located some south ...

, New Zealand, weighing 10 pounds at birth, to parents Richard and Mary. He has two sisters, and one younger brother,

Neil Finn Neil Mullane Finn (born 27 May 1958) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known for being a principal member of Split Enz and for being the lead singer of Crowded House. He was also a member of Fleetwood Mac from 2018 ...

. At the age of 13, he went to Sacred Heart College, Auckland, a Catholic

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. They have existed for many centuries, and now extend acr ...

, on a

scholarship A scholarship is a form of Student financial aid, financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, Multiculturalism, diversity and inclusion, athleti ...

Career

1972–1984: Split Enz

In 1971 Finn commenced a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree at the

University of Auckland The University of Auckland (; Māori: ''Waipapa Taumata Rau'') is a public research university based in Auckland, New Zealand. The institution was established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Initially loc ...

. There he played in music practice room 129 (later the name of a

song) with friends and future Split Enz bandmembers Mike Chunn, Robert Gillies, Philip Judd and

Noel Crombie Geoffrey Noel Crombie (born 17 April 1953) is a New Zealand percussionist and former member of the band Split Enz. He fulfilled multiple roles including costume and hair designer, singer, album cover designer, and music video director. Prior ...

. Music soon became more important to him than his studies. In 1972 he quit university. A few months later, Phil and Tim formed the group Split Ends, renamed

in 1975, shortly before they left New Zealand for Melbourne. Between 1975 and 1984, the group released nine studio albums. Split Enz played its last show on 4 December 1984 in Auckland.

1981–present: Solo work

Finn had his first success away from Split Enz in 1981 when his discarded demo "They Won't Let My Girlfriend Talk to Me" became a top 10 hit for Australian band Jimmy and the Boys. In 1983, Finn recorded his debut

solo album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century ...

, '' Escapade'', while still a member of Split Enz. This met with major commercial success both in Australia and New Zealand, and yielded hit song "Fraction Too Much Friction", which revealed a more rhythm-based sound than Split Enz had been known for. After contributing four songs to Split Enz album '' Conflicting Emotions'', Finn left the band permanently in June 1984, to focus on a solo career. In 1986 Finn released his second studio album, ''

Big Canoe ''Big Canoe'' is the second studio album released by former Split Enz frontman Tim Finn in April 1986. The album peaked at number 3 in New Zealand and number 31 in Australia. Track listing LP Listing CD Listing The CD included the ...

''. The album utilised a wide variety of instrumentation, including guitars, orchestral backings and traditional Indian instruments - most notably on single "No Thunder, No Fire, No Rain", which was inspired by the Bhopal chemical disaster. Though ''Big Canoe'' reached number three on the New Zealand charts, it failed to become the international breakthrough that Finn or record company Virgin had hoped. In 1987, Finn composed music for the Australian comedy '' Les Patterson Saves the World'', which yielded the Australian hit "You Saved the World". Finn had a small part in Australian film '' The Coca-Cola Kid'' alongside then-girlfriend

Greta Scacchi Greta Scacchi ( , ; born 18 February 1960) is an actress. Born in Italy to a British-Italian couple, she was raised in Britain and finally settled in Australia, becoming a naturalized citizen. Scacchi had her first leading role in the romanti ...

, and a larger one in her Italian-shot romance '' La Donna della Luna'' (The Moon Woman). In late 1988, Finn recording his

eponymous An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...

third album for

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...

. The album yielded strong reviews and the New Zealand hit "

Parihaka Parihaka is a community in the Taranaki region of New Zealand, located between Mount Taranaki and the Tasman Sea. In the 1870s and 1880s the settlement, then reputed to be the largest Māori people, Māori village in New Zealand, became the centre ...

", based on a Māori village known for its campaign of passive resistance to European occupiers. Finn also created the song "Cane Toad Blues" which played during the credits for the documentary film " Cane Toads: An Unnatural History." In 2000, the album '' Together in Concert: Live'' was released, featuring Finn, and fellow New Zealand singer/songwriters Bic Runga, and

Dave Dobbyn Sir David Joseph Dobbyn (born 3 January 1957) is a New Zealand musician, singer–songwriter and record producer. In his early career he was a member of the rock group Th' Dudes and was the main creative force in pop band DD Smash. Since then h ...

. Recorded in August and September 2000 in venues around New Zealand, the album saw the three performers each equitably showcased. Both the concerts and album feature all three performers providing vocal and instrumental backing on each other's songs. The album peaked at number 2 on the New Zealand chart. In 2015, Finn composed further for theatre, with an opera ''Star Navigator'' commissioned by New Zealand Opera,

Victorian Opera Victorian Opera is an opera company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company was founded in 2005 by the Victorian Government as a replacement for the Victoria State Opera. It commenced operations in January 2006 with Richard Gill a ...

and West Australian Opera, and the musical '' Ladies in Black'' to premiere in Brisbane by Queensland Theatre Company in November 2015. As England and New Zealand went into COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Finn and

Phil Manzanera Phillip Geoffrey Targett-Adams (born 31 January 1951), known professionally as Phil Manzanera, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music, and was the lead guitarist with 801 and Quiet Sun. ...

began working collaboratively on an album '' Caught by the Heart''. The album was released on 26 August 2021. The album is produced by the two of them, with Manzanera doing the lead instrumental and Finn doing the vocals.

1995–2005 : Finn Brothers

In 1989, Finn began playing music with younger brother Neil, for an intended Finn brothers record. After working together on some songs, Neil later proposed incorporating the tracks onto the latest album of

, the group Neil had formed after Split Enz dissolved. Eight of their songs featured on the resulting Crowded House album " Woodface", including the hits " Weather with You" and " Four Seasons in One Day". In the 1993 Birthday Honours, both Tim and Neil were appointed Officers of the Order of British Empire, for their services to music. The Finn Brothers resumed their collaborative work and released '' Finn'' in 1995. A second and final album was released in 2004 titled, '' Everyone Is Here''. A ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in Hoodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * ''Mojo'' (2017 film), a 2017 Indian Kannada drama film written and directed by Sreesha Belakvaadi * '' ...

'' magazine review stated that it contained "some of the most haunting music to bear the Finn imprint".

2020–present: Forenzics

In 2020 Finn co-created Forenzics with former Split Enz keyboardist Eddie Rayner. Forenzics is an experimental project with the debut album ''Shades and Echoes'' (2022) as a transformation of the songs of '' Mental Notes''. Alongside Finn and Rayner are

and

, who were in Split Enz during the recording of the original album - and also

who was involved in the redevelopment of ''Mental Notes'' into '' Second Thoughts''. Initial singles "Chances Are" and "Premiere Fois" were officially released in November 2021, however "Walking", "Strange Stars" and "Abandoned" were all released before on YouTube (from early 2020 until early 2021). In 2022, Tim Finn involved himself in the Waiata / Anthems project producing a

Māori language Māori (; endonym: 'the Māori language', commonly shortened to ) is an Eastern Polynesian languages, Eastern Polynesian language and the language of the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. The southernmost membe ...

cover of the track " Six Months in a Leaky Boat" (as "Ono Marama Takerehāia").

Personal life

Finn was briefly married to English dancer Liz Malam from 1981–1982. He was in a relationship with actress

from 1984–1989. Since 1997 he has been married to television presenter Marie Azcona, formerly of MTV and TVNZ One's ''Music Week''. Finn and Azcona have two children, and have collaborated on several songs, some of which are featured on '' Steel City'', the dance show that Finn wrote. Aside from co-writing two tracks with Azcona, Finn collaborated on another with former Split Enz member Mike Chunn. Finn's son Harper and daughter Elliot are musicians in their own right.

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Soundtrack albums

Spoken word albums

Compilation albums

Singles

Charity singles

* This discography relates to releases by Tim Finn only. See also Finn Brothers' discography, Crowded House discography and Split Enz discography for other related works.

Awards

RIANZ Awards

The

New Zealand Music Awards The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously called the New Zealand Music Awards), conferred annually by Recorded Music NZ, honour outstanding artistic and technical achievements in the recording industry. The awards are among the most significant that ...

are awarded annually by the

RIANZ Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded ...

in New Zealand.

ARIA Awards

The

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

are awarded annually by the

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...

Countdown Australian Music Awards

'' Countdown'' was an Australian pop music TV series on national broadcaster ABC-TV from 1974 to 1987, it presented music awards from 1979 to 1987, initially in conjunction with magazine ''

TV Week ''TV Week'' is a weekly Australian magazine that provides television program listings information and highlights, as well as television-related news. Content ranges from previews for upcoming storylines of popular television programs, particu ...

''. The TV Week / Countdown Awards were a combination of popular-voted and peer-voted awards. , - , 1981 , himself , Best Australian Songwriter , , - , 1982 , himself , Best Australian Songwriter , , - , rowspan="5" , 1983 , ''Escapade'' , Best Australian Album , , - , rowspan="2" , "Fraction too Much Friction" , Best Australian Single , , - , Best Video , , - , rowspan="2" , himself , Songwriter of the Year , , - , Most Popular Male Performer , , - , 1984 , himself , Most Popular Male Performer , , - , 1985 , himself , Most Popular Male Performer , , -

Helpmann Awards

The

Helpmann Awards The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of musical theatre ...

for live performance in Australia are awarded annually by Live Performance Australia.

References

External links

* *
Tim Finn's Official Website

AudioCulture profile

Tim Finn's MySpace site

Fanclub endorsed site

Australian Record Company site

Trouser Press commentary on Crowded House, Neil Finn and Tim Finn discographyElsewhere Tim Finn retrospective to 2009
* Cane Toads: An Unnatural History {{DEFAULTSORT:Finn, Tim 1952 births APRA Award winners New Zealand people of Irish descent Living people New Zealand pop singers New Zealand male songwriters New Zealand expatriates in Australia New Zealand expatriates in England People from Te Awamutu Crowded House members Split Enz members New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Sacred Heart College, Auckland 20th-century New Zealand male singers New Zealand singer-songwriters New Zealand guitarists New Zealand new wave musicians New Zealand male guitarists New Zealand pianists Helpmann Award winners 20th-century New Zealand musicians 21st-century New Zealand musicians 21st-century New Zealand male singers Tim Male pianists ALT (band) members Māori-language singers University of Auckland alumni