Harper Finn Announces Auckland Headline Show

Tāmaki Makaurau pop newcomer Harper Finn is launching head first into the New Zealand music scene with two earworms under his belt and a headline show lined up for this July. Finn released introspective, piano-driven track 'Look Who’s Sorry Now' late last year, and followed that up in February with high-energy pop track 'Waiting In Line', featuring bars from fellow Auckland musician and rapper Dende (The Sensei). Finn describes his sound as "an ode to the coming of age; reflections on his life, on others’ lives, as observations of modern love, youth and young adulthood" and if that sounds like your cup of tea, you’ll be tickled to know that every Harper Finn gig attendee gets a free 7” 'Conversations (With The Moon)' single with their ticket. With his online presence barely scratching the surface of what’s to come, you can expect his upcoming show to be brimming with fresh sounds and songs...

UPDATE 18/07/19: due to illness Harper Finn's headline event has been postponed to Thursday 25th July...

Harper Finn
Thursday 25th July - Ding Dong Lounge, Auckland
Tickets available now HERE via UTR

Check out the wonderfully abstract visuals for Harper Finn's single 'Look Who's Sorry Now'…

Press Release:

While society moves at a more introverted pace through our dependency on social media to ‘connect’, community is stronger than ever. Tie this in with an undeniable melody (a memorable guide for the lyric), instrumentation and ‘the message’, and you are left with an everlasting snapshot of human history.

New Zealand singer-songwriter, Harper Finn grew up listening to a wide variety of music, inspired by the eclectic tastes of his parents, which included everyone from Serge Gainsbourg, Kate Bush to The Clash, The Zombies and Jungle Brothers. His listening experience also reached into the bags of what his friends circles were listening to at the time, which was a mix of everything. The power in today’s pop music, Harper notes, is that ‘pop music’ is more diverse and unlimited than it ever has been. Gone is the territorial nature that once existed between hip-hop and rock listeners. Now we see listeners openly enjoying a wide range of music under the ‘pop’ umbrella.

Live music has always been a large part of Harper’s life. Working nights at a local venue in Auckland’s downtown, he was exposed to the powerful connection between music and youth culture, watching bands like post-punk game changers IDLES and pop megastar Billie Eilish perform to passionate, sweaty crowds of fans. Most fittingly perhaps, was that his first solo show took place on that very stage.

During Harper’s teenage years, the old (underage) soul was the keyboard player in a sprawling 8-piece hip-hop group, playing R18 venues across New Zealand. The challenge of keeping up with much older players kept Harper on his toes, also forming a deep appreciation for the attitude of hip-hop, as well as the passion and communication between the performer and the audience. The strong communal sense of belonging was palpable, forming a long lasting impression on Harper, who was just seventeen at the time.

Going from one cramped stage to the next, Harper decided to go it alone. During this time, he was studying History and Politics at The University of Auckland, where he began to develop an interest in thinking critically about memory; this inspired the route his songwriting would take, in debt to collective consciousness and fleeting snapshots of his youth.

Harper’s music is an ode to the coming of age; reflections on his life, on others’ lives, as observations of modern love, youth and young adulthood. As we grow older, move further away from our salad days, the various snapshots that make up our lives make more sense. Music can be the warm, connective tissue between our past and present, as we reflect on where we were, what we were doing, and who we were at the time. For a while, as we sing in unison, we are brought together in perfect harmony. In that moment, the past reaches out and unites us by song. It is the undeniable power of music and collective consciousness.

As you will find, Harper’s songbook is like biting into a pie and discovering delicious, unusual notes as the flavours set in - like all precious and mysterious things.