New Zealand-born, U.K.-based musician conjures eclectic, cinematic new record
Whilst growing up amongst the wilderness in New Zealand, Finnegan Tui began exploring his musical connection to the wilderness through melodic instruments such as the fiddle, violin and guitar. After moving to the UK and finding his niche, Tui set out on his journey of being a forward thinking multi-instrumentalist and has since achieved over 230k streams on his 2021 release of “Once I’m Gone.” Just four tracks into his discography, Finnegan has gained recognition across the board and gone on to support artists such as Cosmo Sheldrake, Elder Island and Ajimal.
Throughout this album, songwriting skills and impressive music production techniques all come together to demonstrate expressive pop elements alongside electronic and folk-like impulses. The soundscapes of nature and atmospheric harmonies immediately puts the listener into Finnegan’s experience of being around nature. Cinematic sounds can be heard across the record, which works in unison with the tweeting of birds and spoken word about nature – an immersive experience to say the least.
“I gave everything, all of me is in this EP,” Finnegan shared. “My desire, fear, stories and failings are all here. I worked on ZEPHYR with my best friends, family, my childhood heroes and a wonderful team who poured all their passion into this project. I hope there is something wild and alive in here for people.”
The first track of the record “Once I’m Gone” boasts a rustic feel, with its double bass and carefully plucked guitar sounds. The sounds of the arpeggiated guitar licks, the kahong drum and long held background harmonies stress a feeling that shares similarities of a Ben Howard track with more nostalgia and depth. It’s impressive to say the least, as this bold rustic feeling is held throughout the record and is captured with a twist of electronic sounds and sonics.
You can give Finnegan Tui’s Zephyr EP a spin below:
