Grand but intimate

New Crowded House album has an ambitious, orchestral sound and is something of a family affair

Neil Finn – frontman and guiding light of the consummate and acclaimed international charttoppers Crowded House – has nothing left to prove.

But the Kiwi rock legend still enjoys a challenge, and his new friends and family-accompanied album Out Of Silence was conceived, recorded live and simultaneously streamed online from his Auckland studio .

“It would have been easier to make a more humble acoustic record for a live album stream but I was aiming for something much more difficult,” says Finn. “Something that would give me sleepless nights and bouts of madness.”

With its rich orchestrations, poignant subject matter (including Terrorise Me, a moving reflection on the terrorist attack on music fans at the Bataclan), the grand but intimate Out Of Silence shows Finn’s many musical attributes still blooming.

“The songs emerged in a group as piano songs, suggesting orchestral arrangement more than band,” he says. “I knew we could make an amazing sound with a big group in the studio.”

Finn’s elder brother Tim, his sparring partner in both Crowded House and Split Enz, co-wrote and performs on one song. “We have a whole brace of Finn brothers’ songs for a special project coming up,” says Neil.

“We really enjoy making music together, in part because we only do it every now and again. Many fraternal relationships can be complex – we’re no different.”

While keen to forge new territory, he says Crowded House’s 2008 Sydney reunion shows were among the finest of the band’s lifespan.

“Some people will always feel strong attachment to my past work as they are connected to peak moments in their life,” he says. “I accept that and am really grateful for it.”

Finn memorably took a pop at Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, imagining his trousers falling down as he bowed to the Queen in the Crowded House classic track Chocolate Cake.

Not that Sir Andrew took offence.

“I think it would barely have registered on his radar,” Finn reckons. Despite public knight shaming, Finn still got an OBE of his own.

“I keep it in a drawer by my bed,” he reveals. “We couldn’t make it to the investiture, but it’s a lovely medal. I tried ringing the Queen shortly after, but she wouldn’t take my call.”

Out of Silence is out now