Sharon & Neil Finn Announce Pajama Club – The Album
aaamusic | On 16, Jun 2011
Featuring Sharon & Neil Finn
Album released: 19th September 2011 via EMI Music Services
“From A Friend To A Friend” released as a download on 25th July 2011
UK dates announced for July
“From A Friend To A Friend” live performance
Pajama Club began as a private after dinner racket to fill an empty nest. With their two sons, musicians in their own right, grown up and away, Neil and Sharon Finn found themselves home alone in New Zealand with time, a sensible supply of red wine, copious musical instruments and a 16-track tape recorder on their hands.
“I’d always had a hankering to play the drums, Sharon’s had a similar attraction to the bass,” says Neil. “We were having a great old time making noise but we didn’t think too much about it until we started playing some of it back and found ourselves dancing.”
In between unfamiliar instruments and naive enthusiasm, a fresh and potent musical chemistry erupted. It travelled the world on hard drive as Neil toured with Crowded House throughout 2009, and, in far flung hotel rooms he added to it guitar, keyboard and other melodic lines to take home to Auckland.
On return, enter Sean Donnelly, a local friend with a shared taste for sonic intrigue — as heard on numerous indie albums under the SJD banner. Neil and Sharon’s lounge room funk grooves began to expand with electronic squelches, bleeps and loops. Vocal contributions evolved in similar disorderly fashion.
“We’d take turns singing whatever we thought would work over the top,” says Sharon. “Neil did the lion’s share. I contributed a few lines — the good ones,” she quips. “If I didn’t feel comfortable singing something we’d knock it around together, change it”. And Neil is the first to admit the hard work starts here. “We’re not under any illusions that people are immediately gonna jump on this because it’s me,” he says, “We want to earn our stripes as a band, get really good.
So here we are, in June 2011 and Pajama Club are preparing to release their eponymous debut album to the world and head out on tour to promote its irresistibly strange and propulsive grooves.
“Pajama Club are delighted to announce we will be appearing live in the U.K. in July to preview our upcoming album. Our 4 piece line-up is Sharon Finn on bass and vocals, Neil Finn on guitars, vocals and occasional drums, Sean Donnelly on synth, guitar and vocals and Alana Skyring on drums. The gear’s in the van, we’re in shape and ready to get you moving.”
Album tracklist:
1. Tell Me What You Want
2. Can’t Put It Down Until It Ends
3. These Are Conditions
4. From A Friend To A Friend
5. Golden Child
6. Daylight
7. Go Cart
8. Dead Leg
9. TNT For Two
10. The Game We Love To Play
11. Diamonds In Her Eyes
UK dates – JULY
Saturday 16th – London – Borderline
Tuesday 19th – Glasgow – Oran Mor
Wednesday 20th – Birmingham – Glee Club
Friday 22nd – Brighton – Concorde 2
Saturday 23rd – London – Bush Hall
Wednesday 27th – Bristol – 02 Academy 2
Thursday 28th – London – XOYO
Tickets: www.livenation.co.uk
