tap shoes, harmonicas, bottleneck, guitars and voice
Influences
Vera Hall, Son House, Robert Johnson, Bessie Smith, Blind Willie Mctell, Rory McLeod, Odetta, Elvis Presley, Billy Bragg, John Hartford,Keith Jarret, Sleepy John Estes, Dick Gaughan, Jimmy Rogers, Ry Cooder, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Oscar Cainer, Little Walter, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Barber, Beethoven, Woody Guthrie, Sonny Boy Williamson, Sonny Terry, Roy Harper, Bill Withers, Martin Carthy, Donal Lunny, Nuru Kane,Errol Lynton and other people who pour their hearts into whatever they're doing, and inspire in doing so.
Sounds Like
A mixture of all the musicians and people who inspire me. Of the words, I'm just trying to write in my own language
From the driving rhythm of his foot stomps, through
the raw energy of his bottleneck and explosive harp playing, to the
wonderful words delivered with true passion, Steven Finn electrifies
audiences. Described as “one of the best young acoustic blues guitar
players on two legs” Steven is also one of only 3 UK artists to be
endorsed by Hohner harmonicas.
As a solo performer Steven has supported Rory McCleod, Martin Carthy and The Beautiful South amongst others.
Early 2008 saw Finn release his debut album ‘Houdini’s Blues’, an album of sparse beauty which was well received by critics and audiences alike. For more information please visit www.herding-cats.co.uk
"The songs on this album reflect how I see the world we live in – from war to the shooting of an innocent man getting on a train, through longing and loneliness, to hope and friendship"
Houdini's Blues was launched at the Union Chapel on the 5th April 2008.
You can buy a copy from www.herding-cats.co.uk, by clicking on the album cover below or you can download it from iTunes.
Steven Finn plays Hohner harmonicas kindly supplied by Sutherland Trading
REVIEWS
“There is a real dichotomy in this CD in that it is beautifully simple but so complex in its lyrics! It leaves you in no doubt about the ability of Steven as a song-writer. His lyrics are profound and deep, they claw in the heart of human existence in the present day; speaking of war, loneliness, and lost hope in a world tired, struggling to make sense of itself and it’s current dilemmas. It is old Blues and folk crossing the boundaries of musical prejudice to speak to a new age. The guitar work is crisp complimenting the lyric with precision. Steven knows how to blow a harmonica and make it talk! On ‘I wish I had a friend’ the vocal tells the tale whilst the Blues harp emphasizes the meaning. ‘Heroes and Movie Stars’ is a Bluesy rock ballad, basic in instrumental, but those lyrics go deep! ‘Hail to the thief’ takes on the mindless violence of our times with raw passion. A good debut album and the songcraft throughout is excellent“ (Blues Matters)
“A clean distinct folk sound not straying too far from the roots. Houdini’s Blues is an album that searches for truth, where sometimes the vocals scarily resemble that of the late Skip James. From songs like Dream Song 1 with it’s slow but very effective searching rhythm makes way to a slapping harmonic piece like “Hail To The Theif”. This is no Radiohead cover, it’s better, it’s the real thing. Add to the combination, classic folk singer songwriter songs like “Strong Storm Rising” and “All Come To Reap The Goldrush” with honest lyrics accompanied by graceful guitar playing and you have one mighty fine album” (Folk Blues & Beyond)
“The slide guitar of ‘Dream Song 1’ joined only by his solitary voice rising above the melody, evoking pictures of the dusty roads Finn’s traipsed returning homeward. ‘Heroes And movie Stars’ showcases Finn’s poetic, delicate visions of life, “in between the wars, showing off our battle scars,” he sings, conjuring a fantastic narrative to broach a brutal truth. ‘Hail To The Thief’ returns to the grassroots of blues, a harmonica Finn’s only accompaniment as the tremolo shifts in and around him and us, becoming all the more apparent the songs were recorded fully live. ?Finn does sparse to great effect, a solitary guitar or harmonica creating something far more intense than should be possible, such as ‘I wish I had A Friend,’ executed so perfectly you imagine it could even work a-cappella. ‘All Come To Reap The Goldrush’ is Finns calling card, and a perfect ending to an album of immediate beauty. Finn exhibits enough honesty in his voice and skill in composition to create a work brimming with new ideas in an old genre” (Subba Cultcha)
“This is a very cool album and well worth getting. We will be hearing more of the name Steven Finn. Brilliant!” (Folk radio)
“He plays beautiful songs, with the blues coursing through their veins. Neat little guitar figures, saucy slide and solo mouth harp pieces” (Blues night)
“In this modern world it's not often you find songs so deeply cultivated in the folk and roots tradition. Timeless, yet completely relevant, these are songs you want to listen to again and again” (Bristol folk house)
“Harmonica and guitar, a rough, gritty blues, the intensity of 'I Wish I had a Friend' recalled Johnny Cash, or Son House. He could make the guitar clang with that extraordinary heaviness, that solitude of the Blues” (Mikulin)
“On 'Houdini's Blues', Steven sings that the line between love and hate is very thin. After listening to this CD, I can also add that the line between very beautiful and extremely beautiful can be thin. A little gem in a league of its own” (Roots time, Belgium)
“Houdini's Blues by Steven Finn is just so simple and so easy - it brings the blues back home, back down, back into the real world, back to where it all began. Steven Finn writes with a clear understanding of life and its shortcomings and failings. His gritty yet mellow vocal delivery allows the listener full access to his words and his stories. Finn has the same sort of feel as the 'protest' singers that were so prominent in the 60's; he sings with passion, belief and sympathetic, if not empathetic, emotion. 'Houdini's Blues' is a delightfully simplistic blues offering that makes blues music once more real, accessible, believable and, what's more, enjoyable!” (Toxic Pete)
For bookings you can contact me here or via www.herding-cats.co.uk
Hi there. New song up, Viviendo en el error (Living a mistake). Hope you like it. The lyrics are translated in my blog, just in case someone might be interested. Have a great day.
Just a bit of advance notice for a night of the finest folk rock and acoustic music at The Wilmington Arms, Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell on Monday 3rd May with Galley Beggar and Ellen Mary McGee
"Taking inspiration from the likes of Fairport Convention, Pentangle and Led Zeppelin's acoustic explorations our music sets out to imagine the next phase of English Folk Rock. Our live performances bring the intensity of a rock band to electric folk and include plenty of instrument changes as we move from music found within the collections of Cecil Sharp and Francis Child through to electrified psychedelic freakouts. Harmony vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, violin, recorder, bouzouki, keyboards, bass and drums make up the sound of Galley Beggar."
"London-based Ellen Mary McGee, a multi-instrumentalist who specializes in stringed things like guitar, dulcimer, and zither, belongs to a small class of exquisite weirdos that also claims the great Kendra Smith, Faun Fables, and Spires That in the Sunset Rise—in other words, artists who don’t see why folk music should necessarily sound earthly.
Just a reminder that London's best Monday Night Folk Night will be taking place next Monday April 5th at The Wilmington Arms, Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell with special guests Gilmore-Roberts, Ski Jordan and supporting slots by Helen and Katie (aka Kit and Cutter) and Eoin Quiery See more details http://event.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.detail&eventID=515762.85816
Truly nowhere else you would want to be on a monday evening, so start your weekend (and indeed finish your extended weekend off) with the best in folk, roots and acoustic music.
Hey Steven, just wanted to say that i'm listening to your album now while sitting in the sunshine and its absolutely stunning! Hope that our paths cross again in the not too distant future! Will
Hey Steven, how's it going? Lost in the post-tour-depression or everything fine? Any news about the car? I just realized that our ways cross in June! You're in Munich while we're in Dachau on the 11th. Greetz from B-town to L-town, Budi
MondayMonday - Folk Night on 19th April at The Wilmington Arms, Clerkenwell
Come along to a night of the finest traditional and contemporary Folk Music with Chris Sarjeant with supporting slots from Raven and Paul Micklethwaite
A finer night of the best that the folk scene has to offer you will struggle to find!
Online Now!
