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Tim Finn at Sir Stewart Bovell Park. Photo by Stuart Sevastos- Wikimedia commons

Top 10 Facts about Tim Finn

Tim Finn is a New Zealand recording artist and singer. Tim Finn, born Brian Timothy Finn in 1952, started making music in the 1970s and continues till today. Tim Finn’s music has gained extensive praise around the world. Finn’s music has appeared on albums, in films, on television, and for dance, opera, and theatrical stage performances.

1.Tim’s early life and his educational background

Brian Finn was born in the New Zealand town of Te Awamutu. He attended Sacred Heart College, a Catholic boarding school in Auckland. He enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts program at the University of Auckland in 1971.

2.The creation of the band Split Enz and Finn’s collaboration in theband

He jammed with friends and future Split Enz bandmembers Mike Chunn, Robert Gillies, Philip Judd, and Noel Crombie in music practice room 129 (later the name of a Split Enz song). Music quickly became more important to him than his studies, and he dropped out of university in mid-1972.

After a few months, Phil and Tim formed the band Split Ends (renamed Split Enz, shortly before their first move to Melbourne in 1975).

In later years, the bands’ music became more popular; their music style is best identified as quirky, implementing inspirations from art rock, performance art, swing, grunge, glam rock, rock, and pop.

Tim and Judd changed as the band’s frontmen between 1972 and 1977. Once Judd irrevocably left the band, Tim Finn’s younger brother Neil Finn took his place.

3.Finn’s family background and private life away from music

Tim Finn performing at Nambassa with Split Enz. Photo by Susanna Burton- Wikimedia commons

From 1983 to 1989, Finn was in a relationship with actress Greta Scacchi.

Finn is happily married to Marie Azcona, a former MTV and TVNZ One Music Week presenter. Finn and Azcona have two children and have written so many songs together, some of which are showcased on Steel City, Finn’s dance show. Aside from co-writing two songs with Azcona, Finn also worked with former Split Enz member Mike Chunn on another. Harper, Finn’s son, is also a musician.

4.The unfortunate end to the band and what was next for Finn as an artist

Tim Finn and high school friend Jonathan Michael Chunn founded the band, which was initially called Split Ends. Following graduation, the two continued to composing and performing their own music at Auckland University.

Numerous additional musicians were added to their musical endeavor while they were in college. Philip Judd, Rob Gillies, and Geoffrey Noel Crombie, all art students, would join the band. Split Ends was renamed Split Enz, with the initials “NZ” as a tribute to their native New Zealand.

5.Finn’s big break as a solo artist was better than expected

While still a member of Split Enz, Finn produced his first solo album, Escapade, in 1983. This was a huge commercial success in both Australia and New Zealand, yielding the hit song Fraction Too Much Friction.

Finn left Split Enz indefinitely in June 1984, after contributing four songs to the band’s album Conflicting Emotions, to pursue a solo career. He relocated to London the following year.

6.After amazing sells from his first album, Finn went on to cemented his career as a solo artist

Tim Finn at Bar Bodega, Wellington. Photo by Wendy Collings- Wikimedia commons

Big Canoe, his second solo album, was released in 1986. The album featured a wide range of instrumentation, such as guitars, orchestral backings, and traditional Indian instruments, most prominently on the Bhopal chemical disaster-inspired single No Thunder, No Fire, No Rain.

Big Canoe peaked at number three in New Zealand, but it failed to achieve the international success that Finn and record label Virgin had hoped for.

Throughout this time, Finn’s focus shifted to soundtrack music, and he managed to land a few on-screen acting roles. Finn has written music for a number of Australian films and television shows, such as the 1981 teen drama Puberty Blues and the comedy Les Patterson Saves the World, which produced the Australian hit You Saved the World.

Finn appeared in the Australian film The Coca-Cola Kid with then-girlfriend Greta Scacchi, and in the Italian-shot romance La Donna della Luna (The Moon Woman).

7.He spoke on world issues and raised awareness through his music

The single “No Thunder, No Fire, No Rain,” devoted solely to the huge Bhopal chemical tragedy in India, may have been the most talked about song from this album. While his album Big Canoe charted in New Zealand, it struggled to become a hit and reach a much huge international audience.

Tim Finn relocated to Melbourne, Australia in 1989 and released his debut album, Tim Finn. Tim’s early involvement in social shift and humanitarian organizations continued to play an important role in his musical style. This album included the song “Parihaka,” which was about the Maori people of New Zealand and their resistance to European occupation.

His album’s message drew attention from fans and received positive feedback from even the harshest critics.

8.Crowded House was another band that Tim started with his younger brother in 1990’s

In early 1990, he began recording music with his younger brother Neil for an upcoming Finn Brothers album. After collaborating on some songs, Neil later suggested including the tracks on the latest album of Crowded House, the band he formed after Split Enz disbanded.

Tim toured in support of the band’s album Woodface, and co-wrote eight songs, including the hits Weather with You and “Four Seasons in One Day.” However, during the tour that followed the album’s release in the United States, everyone involved realized that the incorporation was not a good match.

Finn came back to explore his solo career.

9.Tim started having live concerts in 2000 in hopes to promote his music even more

Tim Finn at Sir Stewart Bovell Park. Photo by Stuart Sevastos- Wikimedia commons

Tim Finn produced the album Together in Concert: Live in the year 2000 while on tour with Dave Dobbyn and Bic Runga. The album was produced as performed in front of cheerful audiences in New Zealand. This tour’s concerts showcased all three musicians contributing to the music of the others.

10.Since 2020 up-to date Finn has collaborated closely with Forenzics, former member of Split Enz

Finn co-founded Forenzics with former Split Enz pianist Eddie Rayner in 2020. Forenzics is a study project that released its debut album Shades and Echoes (2022) as a conversion of Mental Notes’ songs (Split Enz album).

Along with Finn and Rayner, there are former album members Noel Crombie and Phil Judd, as well as Phil Manzanera, who was responsible for the creation of Mental Notes (into Second Thoughts (album)).

The first two singles, “Chances Are” and “Premiere Fois,” were officially released in November 2021, but “Walking,” “Strange Stars,” and “Abandoned” were already available on YouTube (from early 2020 until early 2021).