Biography of Crowded House

In 1985, New Zealand-born Neil Finn was left with the task of continuing with Split Enz after the departure of his brother (and founding member) Tim Finn. He opted instead to dissolve The Enz. Taking drummer Paul Hester with him, he formed a stripped-down trio with bassist Nick Seymour. After years of writing Split Enz's synth-pop hits like "I Got You" and "One Step Ahead," Neil concentrated on well-crafted, melodic songs and transparent production. This new Australian band was dubbed Crowded House for the state of congestion in the Los Angeles bungalow the band shared while recording with producer/keyboardist Mitchell Froom. Their self-titled 1986 debut album was a sleeper hit that waited until the third single, "Don't Dream It's Over," before jumping into the Top Ten. An excellent live act, Crowded House made quite a splash that year. Although their next two albums didn't match the chart success of the first, the consistently high level of quality has earned them many fans and critic's darling status. Tim Finn joined the band briefly for the Woodface album and tour. Two years later, Crowded House added guitarist Mark Hart and recorded the acclaimed Together Alone with Youth, a former member of Killing Joke; the record was a hit everywhere except the US. During a US tour in Spring of 1994, drummer Paul Hester left the band to spend more time with his family. ~ Scott Bultman