Friday night was all about the familiar for Seattle music lovers. A light drizzle of rain, a slight chill in the air, several different concerts to choose from – just a typical night.

However, for those lucky enough to head to the Tractor Tavern in Ballard, things were about to change. New Zealand artist Liam Finn played a show as part of his nationwide FOMO tour. ‘FOMO’ – a term referring to the Fear of Missing Out – was not a feeling experienced by Finn fans that night. They were treated to an energetic performance by Finn and his band including the talented Eliza Jane – a favorite of the men in the crowd, even receiving a marriage proposal at one stage in the show.

Finn was happy to be in Seattle and made it known, partaking in occasional banter with the crowd, thrashing away on an extra set of drums, jumping onto a keyboard to play the first track ‘Neurotic World’ from his latest album. In fact the only lowlight would be the poor sound mixing during a few of the songs – a problem which was quickly fixed and acknowledged by Finn who introduced the soundman, making light of the situation.

Opener Marques Toliver was a great way to start the show – a solo artist requiring only a violin and one extremely powerful voice to produce a stunning performance. Finn played material from the new album mixing in old favorites from his successful I’ll be Lightning. When the band left the stage the crowd was applauding for an encore unaware of the surprise in store. Finn brought a friend out on stage, who just so happened to be Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam. Vedder played three songs including a cover of ‘I See Red’ by popular New Zealand band Split Enz. The crowd was left in disbelief – the night had become something truly special.

I was lucky enough to catch up with Liam and asked him about life on the road.

Gabrielle Johnson: I’m a New Zealander living in Seattle so know what it’s like to be away from home – is this something that you have adapted to, or do you struggle sometimes and long to be back in New Zealand?

Liam Finn: I definitely craved being back in NZ after touring for about three years on I’ll Be Lightning. We lived like nomads out of a suitcase and all I wanted was to stay still for a while. I ended up moving home to a little beach house in relative isolation… definitely got my fix of NZ… freaked out… made a record… and now I’m on the road again. Seems like a good cycle.

GJ: You have a pretty hectic tour schedule – is it hard to be on the road for so long, or is it something you get used to over time?

LF: I love being on the road. I spent a lot of my youth on the road with my family so it’s a bit of a comfort zone for me. You exist inside this little bubble where each day has its mission and you meet interesting people and wake up in interesting places. It definitely has  its lonely moments and is very exhausting… but that hour or two of performing each night makes everything worthwhile.

GJ: You chose to tour with a band this time rather than going solo, what influenced this decision and in what ways has this made the touring experience different?

LF: After performing as a duo with EJ for so long I felt like I needed a change to make things fresh again. What made the old show so exciting was that every night was different and we left a lot of the show up to spontaneity and improvisation. After a few years we got more and more comfortable and I realized we needed to find that danger and spark again. Introducing a drummer and bass player to the mix totally gives all the old songs a new life and helps present the new record in better way than EJ and I could on our own. I’ve got my brother Elroy playing drums. I still have my kit up there too so we end up having mad drum duals which is so much fun.

GJ: FOMO refers to the ‘Fear of Missing Out’… is this a feeling that sinks in after a long and busy time on the road?

LF: It was more of a response to coming home and worrying that the life I had set up and pursued for so long was being put on hold. I needed that time to make a records but I was being FOMO hearing about my friends bands’ travels and my family were all overseas too. Plus I made my record in summer in NZ so I was getting texts from mates inviting me to partake in BBQs and cricket but had to keep my head down in the studio. It’s a tragic state really… nothing to be proud of but feels like a global condition now. We’re all a bit FOMO sometimes.

GJ: Your fan base is steadily growing in America – how do you find the crowds compare here with the crowds at home?

LF: Home crowds will always be special to play to… even if sometimes they’re a bit tough and hard to impress. American crowds are so much fun. They’re there to be entertained I definitely get more theatrical and wild away from home.

GJ: I read somewhere that you have gotten into trouble before for swearing too much on stage in America – what happened in that show and has it made you tone down any aspects of your live shows in America?

LF: I never tone it down here in the States… but I do have to remind myself that the “C word” doesn’t fly here. I got in a bit of trouble one night in the Beacon Theatre in NYC telling a story that involved calling someone a “Good cunt” which is a form of high praise back in NZ. It went dead silent and I remembered then that it was a mighty taboo word. I tried to explain but just dug myself deeper and deeper. At the end of the set I finished with saying “Thank you so much lovely people of the Beacon theatre…. Beacon… kind of rhymes with CUNT”. I heard boos.

FOMO is available from all good music stores, or check Liam Finn’s website for distribution.