From Fleetwood Mac back to Crowded House, Neil Finn weighs in on the band's open-hearted new album

Neil Finn's recording career dates back to the 1970s, and spans multiple seminal bands — New Zealand new wave iconoclasts Split Enz and pop-rock shapeshifters Crowded House — as well as projects with various family members and even solo work. That's partly due to the band's lineup: Finn and co-founding bassist Nick Seymour are joined by keyboardist Mitchell Froom — who contributed the iconic, solemn parts on the band's enduring 1987 hit, "Don't Dream It's Over" — and Finn's multi-instrumentalist sons, Elroy and Liam. At heart, "Dreamers Are Waiting" preserves what's always made Crowded House so beloved — Finn's open-hearted vocals and lyrics, both of which are paired with timeless, gorgeous melodies — while adding a contemporary sheen. He touched on the process making "Dreamers Are Waiting," how playing with Fleetwood Mac influenced the album, and how Elroy and Liam shaped Crowded House's sound. I think within every band, that's a really important thing that doesn't get talked about that much.