IN CONVERSATION WITH FINNEAS
interview by TIMI LETONJA and JANA LETONJA
Few artists have shaped modern pop music as quietly and profoundly as FINNEAS. A multi-Academy® and GRAMMY® Award-winning songwriter, producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, he has become an unassuming yet omnipresent force in the music and film industries, defining the sound of a generation while continually expanding its boundaries. From the intimate, hypnotic songwriting of his solo work to era-defining collaborations with his sister, BILLIE EILISH, and a wide range of global artists, Finneas moves fluidly between pop stardom and cinematic storytelling, guided by instinct, restraint and an unwavering emotional core. FINNEAS also just scored the latest installment of the critically acclaimed anthology series BEEF, which premiered this April.
full look PRADA
Looking back at BLOOD HARMONY, did you have any sense that your solo work would resonate so deeply alongside your production career?
From the time I was 13 to 18, I was playing in a band and writing songs for us to perform. I fully intended to have a career centered around being in a band, touring, and making records. One of the people in that band was my friend David Marelli, who is now a really accomplished producer in his own right, which is very sweet. We’ve continued to work together over the years.
When BILLIE’s music started to take off, I had this feeling of, “Oh, sweet.” I suddenly knew all these people in the industry, people at labels trying to sign BILLIE, and I thought maybe they’d be interested in my work too.
I had a song called I’M IN LOVE WITHOUT YOU with a music video, and we shopped it around to different labels. They all passed. At the time, that made me sad. But now, having had a longer career, I understand it. From a label’s perspective, it makes sense to wait and see what else an artist creates and where they take things.
In 2018, after putting out a few songs in 2016 and 2017, I decided to release one song every six weeks for the entire year. I started with BREAK MY HEART AGAIN and ended up putting out eight or nine songs. Toward the end of that year, I wrote LET’S FALL IN LOVE FOR THE NIGHT, which did really well. By 2019, I had enough music to make an EP. That became BLOOD HARMONY. Only two songs had been released before, I LOST A FRIEND and LET’S FALL IN LOVE FOR THE NIGHT. Everything else was new.
I’m very grateful I did it that way. I’d advise other artists to just make things and put them out. When you write a song you love, you might feel like you need to hold onto it for the perfect moment. But a year later, you might be interested in completely different music. So until something really takes off, I think you should feel free to release what satisfies and excites you. That mindset, just putting out music I was proud of, is what I credit with having a solo career.
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shirt LARDINI
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coat LARDINI
shoes DOUCAL'S
FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD! pushes your sound forward while remaining deeply personal. What emotional or creative place were you in when you were writing it, and during the process of making the album?
I had started making THE FAVORS album with ASHE, and I loved writing songs in the room with her and DAVID & RAT. I was having such a great time that I thought, when I make another solo record, I should do it like this, fill a room with people I love, jam, and write songs on top of it.
So that’s what we did. I have a studio with a big enough room to track a full band. We booked five days to see what we could get. By the end of that first week, we had LITTLE WINDOW, LOTUS EATER, WHAT’S IT GONNA TAKE TO BREAK YOUR HEART?, 2001, and FAMILY FEUD. We were making a ton of music really quickly, which was exciting.
About a month and a half later, we did another week with slightly different personnel. That’s when we wrote CLEATS and SAME OLD STORY. Later, we did one more session and wrote the title track, FOR CRYIN’ OUT LOUD! At that point, I felt like we had the full record. It was a very collaborative experience, and I loved how it felt.
top and trousers WOOL
loafers VALENTINO GARAVANI
THE FAVORS, your project with ASHE, feels like a project with its own emotional and sonic world. What drew you and Ashe to build something together that lives outside your individual catalogs, and how did THE DREAM take shape as a shared vision?
I’ve known and worked with ASHE for about nine or ten years. We were set up in a session by our managers and connected right away. Later, she sent me TILL FOREVER FALLS APART, which she had mostly written and wanted as a duet. I rewrote the second verse and added harmonies. That felt like a real gift to me.
In April 2023, she texted me out of the blue and said, “Let’s just make a band, make a record, and play a couple shows, basically make it live.” I thought it was amazing. That’s exactly what we did.
Sometimes ideas evolve into something different than you imagined, but this one stayed true to its original intention. It was always meant to be a limited engagement, a small moment in our lives. I love those songs, though, and I hope that even if we don’t tour officially as THE FAVORS again, we’ll still play those songs together whenever we’re in the same city. I’d love to give them more life.
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top LARDINI
shoes CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN
As a solo artist, how do you decide which ideas belong to you, and which are meant to live in collaboration?
It depends. I used to write songs constantly and pretty indiscriminately. Whoever wanted them could have them.
With BILLIE, for example, I used to write songs like OCEAN EYES and WHEN THE PARTY’S OVER for her. But by HAPPIER THAN EVER, she was co-writing everything, and on HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, she was even more present creatively. I didn’t start anything without her. That reflects her growth and confidence as a writer.
At some point, I might be less interested in releasing music under my own name and just write songs for others. If BILLIE wants them, great. If not, I’ll give them to someone else. Another example is LONELY for JUSTIN BIEBER, which I wrote with BENNY BLANCO. That song was specifically about him. It was like writing a movie about BOB DYLAN, it only made sense for Justin. If he didn’t want it, then probably nobody would put it out.
Scoring projects like THE FALLOUT, VENGEANCE, and DISCLAIMER allowed you to explore long-form storytelling. What excites you most about composing for screen?
What excites me most is how much I love film scores. I watch PHANTOM THREAD or ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER, or MANDALORIAN, or THE SOCIAL NETWORK and think the music is incredible. When I’m scoring something, I’m creating music I would never otherwise make.
There’s a specific scene, a specific emotional need, and characters saying certain things. I get to respond to that. It pushes me creatively in ways my own records don’t. That’s a real thrill.
You just composed the score for the upcoming second season of Netflix's BEEF. What can you share about this project?
I met Sonny, the creator of the show, right after the 2024 Emmys. I immediately liked him and really connected with his vibe. I loved the first season, even though I didn’t score it. When they asked if I’d be interested in working on the second season, I read the pilot and created a piece of music based on it.
I loved the script and had a great time making the music. It’s been a really dreamy process. I’ve been allowed into this project in a bigger way than I have on some previous ones. For example, with DISCLAIMER, filming had already wrapped by the time I got involved, which is just how it goes sometimes. But with BEEF, I was able to visit the set multiple times, read all the scripts, and create music that Sonny, director JAKE SCHREIER, and the actors could listen to during filming. They were able to internalize the tone and carry that into the rhythm of the scenes.It’s been a really wonderful experience.
Your creative partnership with BILLIE EILISH is historic. How has that relationship evolved as both of you have grown artistically and personally?
I can’t speak for BILLIE since she’s not here, but for me, it’s only gotten better. We’ve become better at communicating and more confident in our work.
When you first start collaborating, there can be a desire to push your own ideas forward. You might worry that if you agree to someone else’s idea, you’ll lose a sense of ownership. But now, I think we both understand that we’re just trying to make the best song and the best album possible.
There’s much less ego involved. We’re focused on the work itself. Just yesterday, we were making a piece of music that I really love. You spend so much time working on records together, and I love BILLIE as much as I love anyone in the world. It’s a gift to spend that kind of time with my sister.
accessories JOHN HARDY
eyewear L'ECURIE PARIS
jacket and trousers SIVAN
top LARDINI
shoes CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN
Creative partnerships often rely as much on silence as dialogue. How important is unspoken trust in your work together?
Extremely important. You have to trust the other person in order to be vulnerable. You need to feel safe saying, “This idea might sound stupid, but here it is.”
You have to trust that the other person won’t shut you down or make you feel small. Instead, you hope they’ll respond with, “Okay, let’s explore it. Maybe we can shape it like this or try it another way.”
That sense of safety is essential. One of the biggest challenges in creative collaboration is when someone makes you feel small. Trust is what allows you to take risks and be fully open in the process.
Winning a GRAMMY award for Song of the Year three times with BILLIE is unprecedented. What does that recognition actually mean to you once the moment passes?
The first nomination feels unbelievable because it’s the first time. This was like our sixth or seventh year in a row being nominated for GRAMMYS, which is so crazy. But what continues to make it meaningful, whether we win like we did this year or we lose like we did last year, is the artists you are nominated with. Being nominated alongside huge songs by incredible artists is a massive honor. Continuing to be nominated is something I’ll never take for granted.
With technology making music faster than ever, how do you preserve patience and intention in your creative process?
I’m not naturally patient. But I’ve learned that stepping away from a song helps me understand it better. If I write something, then go make lunch, walk my dogs, or revisit it the next day, I’ll hear it differently. For example, with WILDFLOWER or THE GREATEST, we thought it was done. Weeks later, BILLIE said it needed a bridge. That bridge became the motif of the entire album.
If I’d forced it on day one, it wouldn’t have been the same. Sometimes patience reveals something essential.
You’ve balanced touring, producing, composing, and writing for others. How do you avoid creative burnout?
Burnout happens if I work too much without balance. If I give myself time and work a few hours a day, I don’t get burned out. I genuinely enjoy making music. Deadlines can push things into overdrive, but generally, moderation keeps me energized rather than exhausted.
jacket AVVENN
top and pant OCCHII
shoes DOUCAL'S
Looking ahead, are there worlds or genres you feel you haven’t explored yet but are drawn toward?
I’ve been thinking about country music. I love STEVEN WILSON JR., and I’d love to work more in that space. I did something with KACEY MUSGRAVES last year and would love to collaborate with her more.
I’d also love to work in Spanish, but I want to learn the language properly so I can contribute meaningfully to lyrics. I’ve worked on Spanish-language songs before, with KAROL G a few years ago, but I’d love to truly understand and participate more deeply because I love the way that it sounds and I'd love to just understand what they're saying instead of having to like look up translations of lyrics.
Is there anything else you’re working on that you can share with us, or are maybe planning on coming back to Amsterdam soon?
We played Paradiso in Amsterdam, and it was one of my favorite shows of last year. BILLIE came to that one, and if I could choose one show for someone important to see, it would’ve been that one.
I love Amsterdam. It was too cold when I visited, though, I need to come back in the summer and spend time in Vondelpark.
This issue is themed LOVE. What does love mean to you and represent to you in life?
If you asked me tomorrow, I might answer differently. But right now, love feels tied to empathy and generosity. I think that those two things are sort of the fundamental tenets of love. What makes me feel loved towards another person is seeing them struggle or challenges that somebody's facing, that is not impacting you directly and thinking, “I really empathize with that”.
Empathy is seeing someone struggle with something that doesn’t directly affect you and choosing to care. Generosity is giving your time or energy to someone else, whether that’s helping them move, driving to see them, or simply being there.
I just moved, and my parents came over to help carry boxes. That felt like love to me. So right now, love means empathy and generosity.
TEAM CREDITS:
talent FINNEAS
photography and creative direction JONNY MARLOW
styling DIONE DAVIS at BORN ARTISTS
grooming ADAM MARKARIAN using ORIBE HAIRCARE and DIOR BEAUTY
prop styling ISAAC AARON
first assistance MICHAEL IRWIN
second assistance WALKER LEWIS
third assistance MATIJA MILECEVIC
styling assistance ADAM CHIA
studio DREAM FACTORY LA
editor TIMI LETONJA
casting and interview TIMI LETONJA and JANA LETONJA
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN
