At TITLE Mag, Fridays are all about music, and every other week we bring you a special Sit In On Friday Session. Today, we have an exclusive interview with Finn Askew, who has previously been part of our Sit In series. Finn is releasing his highly anticipated EP “TOKYO” today, and we had the opportunity to catch up with him and discover what has changed in his life this year. In our interview, we delve into the creation of his new EP, explore the meaning behind the title track “Tokyo,” discuss his inspirations, and much more.
For those who missed our previous interview with Finn in January, you can find it HERE. Additionally, make sure to check out Finn’s Sit In On Friday Session on our Instagram TV.
Hey Finn, how are you? Tell us a little about what your day looked like so far?
Hey, I’m doing well thank you although I’m a little bit tired, I’ve been on tour this past week and it’s been super hectic! I’ve just arrived in London from Birmingham for a show at the Scala tonight!
It’s been almost a year since we last talked, what has changed since January?
How has 2021 been for you so far?
a year already? That’s crazy! Well, I’ve been very busy with everything, obviously did festival season, which was unreal! And I’ve been doing many shows since, which has been lovely. It’s nice to reconnect with my fans after all this covid business! My ep comes out on November 5th so I’m also really pumped for that! but all in all my 2021 has been sick!
Are you still living in the countryside or have you moved to London by now?
What are the pros and cons as a musician in a big city like London?
I’m still living in the countryside! I really thought I would’ve been living in the city by now but the market hasn’t been in my favour, but hopefully by the end of the year I’ll be in London! I mean coming fro mute countryside & a small town definitely meant I was able to stand out more as there wasn’t many people doing the whole music thing, but I feel like London 100% has more opportunities to play as an artist (venues etc) something that wasn’t really a thing where I grew up
Where or with whom do you feel most creative and why?
I feel like I’m more creative when I’m in the city, or anywhere away from home. When I’m at home I get way too comfortable and don’t get on with things as fast as I’d like to. Creativity hits me harder when I’m in new environments.
Last time you told us that being creative during lockdown was not a problem for you,
but it was all slowed down. Would you say it’s back to the normal pace by now?
I’d say it’s all back to a normal pace. I’ve been in the studio more than I was at the beginning of lockdown so it’s been really nice.
And your creativity must be thriving. You’re releasing your second EP “TOKYO”.
Congrats! What have been the inspirations for the new EP?
I feel like I’ve just taken inspiration from my life this past year. I wrote all these songs not really thinking about their place in the world; they were just what I was feeling at the time. This EP is just a collection of my feelings and what I’ve been going through this past year.
You’ve also already released your eponymous single. What is the song about
and what does it mean to you?
The song for me is about a girl I was with this year. Her head wasn’t always in the best of places and at times she felt distant. So, the lyric “she’s in tokyo again” is just a metaphor for her state of mind. It’s a pretty personal song to me, the feelings are very raw.
Which song of the new EP is your favorite or you can’t wait to perform it live?
I feel like my favourite song is “Daffodil”. It’s by far the most beautiful tune I’ve ever released. It’s very different to the rest of them, so I’m excited to play it and see how the crowd reacts.
What was the best and the hardest part about producing “TOKYO”?
The best thing about writing Tokyo was how quickly it came together, you know you’ve got a good song when it all just seems to fall into place. So yeah there was nothing hard about writing the song, I don’t remember there being any struggle at all actually.
Are there any future projects you are especially hyped about?
I can’t lie, I’m already excited about just starting my next ep, I really wanna find myself as an artist in this one & cement my identity. I feel like that’s really important for me right now as my sounds are all over the place which isn’t a bad thing, I just need to hone in on it more.
Back then, our editor Luisa asked you “If you could speak to yourself in the past,
what would you say?” and you answered “You so steezy, keep doing what you’re doing!”
What would you say to the January-Finn?
“This years gonna be the best of your life, don’t get overwhelmed by it all, stay chill”
