After years of touring and collaborating as a drummer and multi-instrumentalist in various groups (Wild Nothing, Connan Mockasin), as well as with his family (extensive worldwide touring with his brother, Liam Finn and as part of Crowded House with his father, Neil Finn), Elroy Finn (going simply by Elroy) will release his debut self-titled album on Aug. 13th, 2021.

A talented multi-instrumentalist – “I was obviously surrounded by instruments a lot growing up thanks to my Dad, so I was very fortunate in that way,” he says – Elroy was written, produced, recorded, and mixed by Elroy himself.

A brief self-release of the record in his native New Zealand earned attention right away for the hazy, coaxing sound that Elroy says he hopes will “evoke the weightless feeling you get just before you fall asleep.”

It does. 

New Zealand’s national newspaper Sunday Star Times describes the album as “acquiring layers of sounds and textures and falsetto vocal harmonies” that “gradually transforms into a sturdy wee slab of lo-fi psychedelia.”

The paper goes on to highlight the upcoming single “Worth The Wait,” describing Elroy’s performance as “a tentative romantic assessing a new relationship, his voice sweet and airy, like a Brazilian bossa nova singer parachuted into the middle of an indie pop song.”

Elroy says the tune is only a “non-specific, ambiguous love song,” which feels like he is speaking from a place of humility that could only be developed by growing up surrounded by legendary songwriting talent.

The tune is actually a fine example of Elroy’s ability throughout the album to hit that sweet spot where the songs are “gentle and catchy,” but “deceptively difficult to write,” as noted in the Sunday Star-Times. 

Similarly, New Zealand’s Listener Magazine, calling the record “bold and assured,” recognizes Elroy’s modesty, saying he “has done well to avoid the pitfalls of emulation or rebellion.” With this record, he takes “the tropes of the catchy, melodic music he was raised around and deliberately drapes them in a shimmering, beguiling gauze.”

In regard to his lyrics, Elroy is equally humble.

“As far as lyrics go, I tend not to over explain meanings as I think it’s really important for people to mis-hear and interpret them however they want,” he explains, adding slyly, “It’s also better, because it means I don’t have to admit if the song isn’t really about anything.”

Perhaps this notion is just Elroy’s humility shining through yet again, or maybe it is a defining characteristic of the deceptive simplicity of his music.

Elroy arrives Aug. 13th, 2021 on the Grand Phony label, preceded by the singles “Excite Me Much,” “Life Is At Home,” and “Worth The Wait.”

Elroy - Worth The Wait

Alberta & The Dead Eyes is the giant-sounding band that in reality is the majority work of one real-life carpenter, David Boone (or D. Boone as he often signs off, evoking another literal and figurative giant of musical history, D. Boon of The Minutemen.)

In fact, Boone’s songs contain that same ramshackle joy and conversational, inclusive tone that Boon’s do. It’s the sound of a natural talent letting it fly.

“I’m a carpenter by day and sometimes even by night,” Boone says. “A fine carpenter at that, but a better musician.”

You may want to leave the page now to find out more about Boone, but don’t bother. He made the right choice. The choice that none of us made and many wish we had. Boone is nowhere to be found on social media. 

He lets the songs do the sharing.

Alberta & The Dead Eyes will release its new 11-song album Give or Take on March 15, 2024. The album will be preceded by “Ghost Kitty,” a four-song EP of additional songs on Dec. 22, 2023.

The songs on Give or Take represent a man in withdrawal from a two-packs-a-day cigarette habit that went on for 15 years.

“Mama, did it fuck me up more than I expected,” Boone confesses. “I wrote the entire record pretty much curled up in a ball.”

Grieving his relationship with nicotine while composing, Boone kept company with his influences, numerous and varied. So numerous and varied that mentioning a handful isn’t going to help you any more than looking for Boone online will.

“I love Billie Holiday. And The Stooges. And The Band. And Outkast. And Duke Ellington. And Cole Porter. And David Sedaris. And Bill Watterson. And the Detroit Pistons. And John fucking Prine.”

Boone doesn’t mention The Minutemen, but likely would, if prompted.

“I mean Jesus, should I keep going?”

Get it?

The thing about Boone as musician that isn’t likely is how much Boone as carpenter makes it into his music. He doesn’t mention the Grateful Dead either, but the steadfast focus that underpins Boone’s freestyle nature is kinda Alberta & The Workingman’s Dead Eyes.

“I’m a complete ‘no one is coming to save you’ type of person,” he explains. “Keep your head down and
do your job. Musician schmoosician. Do what your supposed to fucking do. Write good songs. Play good
shows. Show up on time. Be humble and be fucking nice.”

A real-life carpenter keeping it real-life real. Refreshing.

It should be even less surprising now that musician Boone rejected Instagram squares for T-squares just like he painfully swore off smokes cold turkey for the clean lungs that arrived with the songs, or as Boone sees it, he arrived to them.

“The songs are just there, hanging out, waiting for someone,” he says.

Now that someone is you.

Alberta & The Dead Eyes will release its new 11-song album Give or Take on March 15, 2024, preceded by “Ghost Kitty,” a four-song EP of additional songs on Dec. 22, 2023.

Alberta & The Dead Eyes - So Cool

Fanatic is a music marketing company established by Josh Bloom in 1997 to build fan-to-fan connections between artists and the media. For 25 years, Fanatic has continued to help launch and maintain careers through the strategic advocacy of creative talent.

Elroy - Worth The Wait

Fanatic Promotion

Related tracks