Crowded House Biography

Crowded House was an Australian/New Zealand rock group between 1986 and 1996; two original members were from Australia and one was from New Zealand. Performing in the 1980s and 1990s, the group was based around the songwriting and vocal talents of New Zealand born lead singer, composer and guitarist Neil Finn.
Members of the band included Tim Finn (Neil's brother) in 1990/91, Nick Seymour, Paul Hester (1986-1994), session musician and Supertramp recruit Mark Hart (1993-1996) and session drummer Peter Jones (1994-1996).
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The group had important connections in the Australian and New Zealand rock scenes. Neil Finn and Paul Hester were former members of Split Enz; Neil is the younger brother of Split Enz founding member Tim Finn. Bassist Nick Seymour was the younger brother of singer-songwriter-guitarist Mark Seymour, leader of Australian rock group Hunters & Collectors.

The first incarnation of the band in 1985, The Mullanes, was a 4-piece formed in Melbourne, Australia, which also included guitarist Craig Hooper, formerly of The Reels. They secured a record contract with Capitol Records and moved to Los Angeles, at which time Hooper left the band. At the label's behest, the band changed their name to "Crowded House," which alluded to the cramped quarters the three members shared at 1902 N. Sycamore St. in Los Angeles during the recording of the album.

Now officially called "Crowded House" they also invited former Split Enz keyboard player Eddie Rayner to join, but he declined. He wound up producing the track "Can't Carry On" off the album, however.

Crowded House (1986)

The band had a built-in Australian audience waiting to see what was next for the Split-Enz alumni. 1986 saw Crowded House play a few festival shows in Australia and New Zealand. They released their eponymous debut, Crowded House, in the summer. Capitol Records didn't see any immediate promise for the band, and promotion for the album was lacking. Faced with an uphill battle to get the word out for their efforts, the band played small venues to try and get some attention. Word slowly got out, and the song "Don't Dream It's Over" was released as a single in December. "Don't Dream It's Over" became a massive international hit. The video for the single was pretty much autobiographical, showing the houses in which the band members occupied on their way to the "Crowded House" that they rented in Los Angeles during their album's production. "Don't Dream It's Over" reached #2 in the United States, and has since been rereleased by artists such as Paul Young (1998) and Sixpence None The Richer (2003).

On the strength of the single, their album wound up selling well. "Something So Strong" was the second single from the album, and it was also a successful release. "World Where You Live" also saw some airplay in the US, and "Now We're Getting Somewhere" charted in other countries.

Temple Of Low Men (1988)

As primary songwriter for the group, Neil was now under pressure to create a second album that matched the success of his band's debut. Temple Of Low Men was released to great fanfare along with the single "Better Be Home Soon." Although critics were impressed, the album was not as accessible as their debut. Specifically, the public was not expecting the first single to be an acoustic song with country roots and it set the stage for disappointing album sales. The label quickly pulled promotion for the album yet again, and Crowded House had effectively broken up in frustration after a short tour of Australia and Canada.

Other highlights of this album were "I Feel Possessed" and "Sister Madly," the latter a raucous singalong when played in concert.

Woodface (1990)

Faced with some time off, Neil began writing some songs with his brother Tim for an album they were considering to release under the name "Finn." The sessions yielded enough songs for an album, but Neil offered to have Tim join Crowded House and record some of these songs with a full band. Tim agreed, and the band soon wound up in the studio again.

Woodface was released in 1990, and it featured seven songs written jointly by "Finn/Finn." The other seven tracks were Neil compositions. "Chocolate Cake" was released as the first single, and it sealed the fate of the band in America. The song was a scathing comment on American excesses, and it was not taken well by critics or the public in the country.

The album sold well internationally, especially in the UK. The band was at the pinnacle of its creative output, and the songs "Weather With You" and "Fall At Your Feet" became signature songs for the band. During the supporting tour for Woodface, Tim Finn left the band to further pursue his solo career.

Together Alone (1993)

For their next album, Together Alone, Crowded House recruited guitarist Mark Hart of Supertramp to join the band. The album sold well internationally (except, of course, in the US), on the strength of "Distant Sun" and the haunting "Private Universe." The song "Locked Out" actually charted in the United States, reaching a top-20 chart position, after appearing on the soundtrack for the film "Reality Bites."

The band toured Europe and had begun a series of dates in the United States when drummer Paul Hester left the band, requesting more time with his family. Although they finished the tour with a session drummer (Peter Jones), Neil's heart wasn't in it. Following the tour he decided to work with Tim on their joint album and plan for a solo career. The band officially broke up shortly after the release of "Finn" in 1995.

Recurring Dream, a career-spanning collection of greatest hits and a few new songs, was released in June, 1996 and went straight to #1 on the Australian and UK record charts.

CROWDED HOUSE PICTURES

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CROWDED HOUSE BIOGRAPHY