Interview: Finn Irregular talks colourful chords, Melbourne music, and Tuckshop Recordings
Following the release of his new EP Summer Rains through Tuckshop Recordings, we caught up with Finn Irregular...
What was your process for writing and producing the new EP Summer Rains?
It was a mixture of things really. My writing process usually starts with playing around with some chords on my guitar, making a beat that I like, or just playing around with some sounds on a synth. It's kinda just exploration really, once I've found the thing I'm looking for it just flows out from there.
I do pretty much everything in my studio at home, just layering up synths and recording ideas and messing around really. Most of Summer Rains was made in this sort of way and, once the tracks started reaching a certain level, I reached out to collaborators to see who wanted to get involved and we sent ideas back and forth over email, the songs bloomed from there.
Your influences are jazz, hip hop, broken beat, and R&B - what draws you to these styles and which artists inspire you?
I think I'm drawn to these styles because I love colourful and texturally rich music. Chords are really important to me! Also music that feels uplifting and has a nice rhythm to it.
Stevie Wonder is my number one hero, I also love artists like Jorge Ben, Thundercat, Nayana IZ, Joe Armon Jones, Solange, Tyler the Creator, Faith Evans, Frank Ocean, Herbie Hancock...ah the list is endless!
Being Melbourne based, what’s that music scene like for you as an artist and in your musical development?
Melbourne (Naarm) is really inspiring to me and I feel very lucky to be here. I'm constantly in awe of the level of musicianship of the people around me which spurs me on to always try to grow and level myself up. Being surrounded by so much talent reminds me daily not to rest on my laurels and keep moving. It's had a huge impact on my creative development and growth as an artist and I'm excited to get back into the community again and play some shows.
You are a founding member of Messy Mammals (with Asha Trips), can you tell us more about this project and your thoughts on collaboration?
Messy Mammals is a project that I started with my long term creative partner Asha Trips. We started as an electronic duo and eventually got a band together. This band has been, and continues to be, a very inspiring journey and the band members are also some of my closest friends. I think collaboration is so important because every individual has their own experience and way of expressing this through their music. My band members and collaborators on Summer Rains inspire me with their art and it's very uplifting to be able to share a creative space with them. I think it's a way we all elevate each other and share our love of creating music.
Mixing analogue synths, drum machines, and live instrumentation, how have you adapted with technology during a year of isolation?
Not much has changed in that regard as I do pretty much everything at home. It has meant that I haven't been able to be in the studio with collaborators but we've all been sending ideas through email etc. I think most musicians I know have some sort of recording setup at home which makes it real easy to send things back and forth. That being said, it's nice that restrictions have opened up here now, so I can get back to being in the studio with friends again. Has been so nice to get back into rehearsing!
How does it feel to be the first artist released on Tuckshop Recordings and what more can we expect in the future?
It's really exciting and I feel honoured to be the first Tuckshop release! They've been working hard to get this out and I'm so grateful for their commitment and passion for the project. Feels nice to have people who appreciate the music and wanna get behind it! From here, I guess it's keep writing and producing, get my live set together, and get gigging now that's all starting to happen again. Keen to get back to gigs!
Finally, what does the word ‘groove’ mean to you?
"Groove" to me means something that has infectious rhythm, something that that you feel in your body!
Download Summer Rains here or stream on Spotify and Apple Music.
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