Following on from the release of their latest single Oh Hi, ARIA Hall of Fame luminaries Crowded House have just announced their eighth studio album ‘Gravity Stairs’ – out Friday, May 31 via a new deal with BMG. The announcement is joined by an accompanying music video for Oh Hi.
Produced by the band with Steven Schram (Paul Kelly, San Cisco), ‘Gravity Stairs’ shows Crowded House in its current incarnation — Neil Finn, Nick Seymour, Mitchell Froom, and Finn‘s sons Elroy and Liam — as sharp as ever, feeling musically adventurous, and still capable of reaching the staggering highs that have made them an international favourite.
It’s the act of climbing those figurative “gravity stairs”, inspired by a heavy stone staircase near where Finn vacations, that he likens to his mindset as a creator. “It’s a metaphor for getting a little older and becoming aware of your own mortality, your own physicality,” Finn says. “Things are getting a little harder, and there’s more determination needed to get to the top, but there’s still the same compulsion to climb them.”
The album announcement is joined by the charming music video for lead single Oh Hi. The clip follows a young child, superimposed with Finn‘s face, singing the track as he dances and expresses himself with the freedom and creativity innate in children. The track’s lyrical themes, inspired by how much we can learn from children, meld effortlessly with the video’s celebration of expression and imagination. Finn adds, “I love the way kids dance; I wish I could move like that. This fanciful video by Frank and Beans Pictures is about as close as I’ll ever get.”
Beyond selling over 15 million records worldwide and earning 13 ARIA Awards, an MTV VMA, and a BRIT Award, they have generated billions of streams, consistently sold out tours on multiple continents, notched four ARIA #1 albums and captivated audiences for nearly four decades.
Originally founded by Neil Finn, Nick Seymour, and the late Paul Hester, the group’s self-titled debut in 1986 went platinum, uplifted by iconic smashes Something So Strong and Don’t Dream It’s Over. Speaking to the latter’s impact, everyone from Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande to U2, among others, has covered it.
In 1996, the group delivered a legendary performance to an audience of over 150,000 on the steps of the Sydney Opera House, beginning a hiatus that finished in the wake of Paul‘s passing in 2005. This led to albums ‘Time on Earth’ (2007) and ‘Intriguer’ (2010) before an induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2016 and a return to the Sydney Opera House for three unforgettable nights.
2018 saw Neil join Fleetwood Mac as a full-time member, canvasing the globe on a massive world tour. Two years later, he and Nick led another era of Crowded House, forming the band’s current lineup. They issued their first full-length offering in eleven years, the unanimously acclaimed ‘Dreamers Are Waiting’ (2021). The album took home the ‘Best Adult Contemporary Album’ ARIA Award, and the band leapt into a rapturous world tour in support.
From joining his brother Tim in the New Wave favourites Split Enz to leading Crowded House to his numerous solo efforts, Neil‘s varied body of work is connected by his knack for penning meticulous, indelible melodies and impressionistic lyrics that demand multiple listens. It’s earned him devoted fans all over the globe, an Order of the British Empire honour, and induction into the Australian Recording Industry Association‘s Hall of Fame.
Oh Hi IS OUT NOW
‘Gravity Stairs’ will be available worldwide on Friday, May 31 via BMG – Pre-Save / Pre-Order HERE
With thanks to Good Intent
