Finn Riggins

Bio:

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DIY; Do-It Yourself: (doo-eht-yoor-self) function: n. : the activity of doing or making something (as in woodworking or home repair) without professional training or assistance ; broadly : an activity in which one does something oneself or on one's own initiative. –Merriam-Webster Dictionary

It's rare for a band to tour for 245 days in the span of a year. It's even less common for said band to a) hail from Hailey, Idaho (population 7,844) and b) decide to relocate to a small, shared cabin in the Pioneer Mountain Range for those 120 days per year that they are home. Fortunately for us, Idaho three-piece Finn Riggins embraces and exemplifies the glory inherent in approaching one's creative life from an anomalous perspective.

Judging from their experimental songwriting alone ("Drawing inspiration and influence from several musical realms-- a bit of prog here, some indie rock there, an occasional steel drum thrown in for good measure, Finn Riggins' sound is slippery to say the least."—Oregon Public Broadcasting), it's apparent that the band follows its own very liberal musical rulebook.

In concert with that, Vs. Wilderness, the trio's fourth record and third for Tender Loving Empire, is a compositionally complex, dirty, extra-hooky gem of an album. Its undeniably bright pop sensibility is filtered through off-kilter time signatures and surprising chord progressions that delight and amuse—Finn Riggins will get to the payoff, but they take the road less traveled to get there, no pun intended. The band, comprised of University of Idaho music department grads Cameron Bouiss (drums, steel drum, drum pad, washboard, vocals, misc.), Lisa Simpson (guitars, keys, drums, vocals, misc.) and Eric Gilbert (keys, synths, organ, accordion, sampler, guitar, vocals, misc.), have emerged from the most intense year of their career to date with their most dynamic, satisfying work yet.

This time around, like traditional touring entertainers of the '40s and '50s, Finn Riggins wrote new material geared towards their live shows while on the road, fleshed melodies out in front of crowds, road-tested songs and tweaked the details back at the studio. The album was recorded, engineered and co-produced in May of 2009 by the band at AudioLab studio, an arm of Garden City, Idaho's Visual Arts Collective (or VAC, a non-profit gallery, venue, theatre and creative space with which Finn Riggins is heavily involved) during one of their rare stints at home. True to form, the album was brought to fruition in this independently run, community-minded environment with the help of co-producer and Tender Loving Empire founder Jared Mees (who, by the way, has also toured on his own albums alongside the band.)

Examining their incessant touring schedule--peppered with dates in both legendary clubs and high school auditoriums--and assessing their decision and exceptional ability to not only live in peace with each other in a van and a cabin but to grow as a creative unit, it becomes apparent that Finn Riggins' uniqueness is based in something much deeper than any affected "weirdness" or contrived "story". They book their own tours (a constant job), watch their crowds grow with each repeat visit, and make their own merch by hand.

Finn Riggins is more than just a group that is unusually dedicated to taking matters into their own hands, however. They are a brilliant, inspired band that has crafted a joyful, innovative album informed by a blindingly diverse set of isolated stimuli. Finn Riggins is aware of the macro scene, sure, but their insistence on crafting a micro-reality away from the implied pressures and easy-to-adopt approaches rampant in less intimate environments profoundly affects their creative methodology for the better. Just listen. You'll see.

For review materials, photos, additional info or an interview with the band, contact Joan Hiller Depper at Riot Act Media (joan [at] riotactmedia.com).

Finn Riggins on FACEBOOK

Member Since:

July 24, 2006

Members:

Cameron Bouiss (drums, steel drum, vocals, misc.) ..Lisa Simpson (guitars, vocals, misc.) .. Eric Gilbert (keys, synths, organ, vocals, misc.) .... press inquiries: Joan Hiller / Riot Act Media / joan[at]riotactmedia.com.. label inquiries: Jared Mees / Tender Loving Empire / jared[at]tenderlovingempire.com.. booking: Eric Gilbert / helibasebooking[at]gmail.com

Influences:

A Soldier, A Saint, An Ocean Explorer.. (2007)

Buy the hand silkscreened version from Tender Loving Empire
Buy the digital version from iTunes



A Whale, A Fish EP

1st Run sold out at Tender Loving Empire, second run coming soon!
Buy it from iTunes ..

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Sounds Like:

Battle in psychedelic lights in Pocatello, ID


Music Fest NW 2009 in Portland, OR -- Jared Mees tease + Wake


stop-animation video for Wake -- by Jason Sievers!!


Pankakes for wild ass kids in Mt. Shasta, CA


Glove Comprtmnt video by Joseph Von Stengel

"The record evokes a sense of open space, despite Simpson's snarl and the ever present shambling of Bouiss’s wonderfully thick drums churning beneath sawtooth guitars and layered harmonies. The tracks on A Soldier also bounce between lyrical density, like the galloping, country-fried “Pannin For Gold” and the sinister, groaning “Glove Compartment.” " --
Jessica Suarez / Paper Thin Walls / Brooklyn, NY

"A Soldier, A Saint, An Ocean Explorer is both a bright and lively record stocked with odd time changes and dynamic song structures as it stutters along with a swagger, a devil-may-care grin and an affection for the unconventional... (It) is an exhaustive debut that spans multiple genres with ease and rare proficiency." -- Matt Kiser / CMJ / New York, NY

"Envision, if you will, intellectually charged, experimental indie rock rapscallions left to their own devices... Every track is a decidedly left turn into a futuristic pop abyss. The ensemble’s punk pedigree emerges in 'Glove Compartment,' a sexy/kitschy diatribe worthy of the B-52s in their heyday. 'Box Elder,' a pseudo-prog instrumental, evokes thoughts of a world wherein Eno produces Frank Zappa, and vice versa..." -- Tom Semioli / Amplifier Magazine / Westford, MA ..

"Indie-pop outfit Finn Riggins plays rhythm-heavy rock with flourishes of piano, organs and steel drums. Imagine a more world-music-friendly version of Los Campesinos!" -- Time Out New York..
"Finn Riggins: Intelligent restrained menace ...the band you'll wish you were on the front wave of." Zaph Mann / OPB / Portland, OR

Record Label:

Tender Loving Empire