You may know Liam Finn for many reasons, perhaps it’s for his ground breaking talents as a solo artist or perhaps from the bands that he’s collaborated with like Betchadupa, Barb or Eliza Jane or may be it's from following the same music career footsteps marked out by his songwriter, performer, superstar father Neil Finn. Regardless, Liam endeavours to learn and keep growing as a performer, learning from the journey his father embarked on, and whilst touring the states after finishing up his Australian tour. Liam now joins us to discuss his latest album MOFO plus other funsies with QNews.

Q: Firstly, what happened to Betchadupa in the end?

Liam: We released a couple of records, did our dash – ended up moving to England in search of bigger and better – it just got harder and more confusing really. We started when we were 16 years old and suddenly we were all in our early 20s. I think we all started growing apart as far as our vision was concerned at least. We are all really good friends still, but I think it was just a bit of a natural decision.  Now after releasing a few solo records, I’d love to do another Betchadupa record, I miss those guys.

You have been busy with the latest album release FOMO. What led to this?

Well I moved back to New Zealand for the first time in years and years. I guess this record was my homecoming and sort of my search for, I guess somewhere to recharge the batteries and inspire myself. I resided at a little beach called Piha and lived in a tiny little (what we call) a ‘beach batch.’ I thought it’d be really good for inspiring some songs and processing the previous few years and you know, getting back in touch with nature but in some ways it kind of sent me into a well of madness and I freaked out quite a bit, just because I got quite used to moving around and being so stimulated. But being isolated and sort of on my own out there was quite a strange adjustment so the record kind of ermm... Well I started writing it from that point so I think it does take you on a little bit of a journey. In hindsight I can see it painted a picture but it kind of  does sound like a slight kind of anxious trip from you know, freaking out to enjoyous again, to discovering what I like about making music.

Considering your anxiety journey being back to NZ, do you think you can call New Zealand home again?

It will always be home as far as where I will always go back to or to have kids one day or something like that, but at this point, I am actually living over in New York and basing myself there while I tour this record. Mainly because it is in between Europe and England and the west coast of the states, so it sort of made sense to position myself in New York – but it also is a very deeply romantic city to be living in so that was the idea too.

You open your shows as a one man band, improvising by recording a guitar riff to be played over again followed by you then drumming along to the just recorded guitar riff – (I’d imagine this is how Ben Folds did it when he recorded his ‘one man show’ albums) – is that the same for you?

Yeh, it has been yeh, for my solo stuff – I'm not sure whether it’s because I’m a control freak or just have a very clear idea of what I want [laughs]. I guess I just find it easier to play it myself, rather than articulate to someone exactly what I want. I did plan on making this record by collaborating with people and having a bit of band and doing the solo thing for a while, but very quickly Burke (my producer) and I realised that it was a little bit of a hindrance - that we were going down a different direction, one that we were not really intending to, so we ended up going back to just me playing everything. And the live show, definitely, even with a band I still like to keep that spontaneous bit to it and improv things on the spot. It puts the show in a good energy as well because if you played the same show every night it gets very boring – especially when touring the record for a year or two.

Speaking of your band when playing live, you happen to have your younger brother Elroy featured in the line up.

Yeh, Elroy is playing drums, although I still have my drum kit out with me too - I couldn’t give that up [laughs]. He’s an amazing guitar player as well and he writes beautiful almost kind of Spanish picking pieces and flamingoey things – he’s got a different influence there. We were lucky to grow up in a musical house with lots of instruments just lying around. I think dad was more interested in seeing what happens when someone generates their own style or influence.

You are about to hit the US to perform in the 20th Anniversary Pearl Jam concert along with Eddie Vedder – excited?

Yeh, it's very exciting!!!

Well best of luck, we hope you achieved all you goals on the recent Australian tour and thank you for your time and wish all the best in New York. Hopefully we can see you when you get back.

Cheers man, nice to speak with you.

FOMO is Liam’s latest album that was released in June. It is now available in all CD stores as well as iTunes.