More than ten years since their last album, and almost a quarter of a century since their first split, beloved music legends Crowded House have returned with a surprise new song, “Whatever You Want”.
First teased on socials on Wednesday, October 28th, the group released the track this morning, which features the trademark instrumentation, powerful lyricism, and heartfelt delivery that turned Crowded House into icons over 30 years ago.
Backed by a Nina Ljeti-directed film clip, Crowded House also teamed up with Canadian indie-rocker Mac DeMarco to bring the tune to life, offering up a video which sees DeMarco struggling with the hazy aftermath of a wild night out.
“Waking up with the fear after last night’s revelry. We can all relate to that,” frontman Neil Finn noted in a statement. “Thanks to Mac for working through the pain and showing us redemption.”
The new track is the first taste of fresh material since the release of 2010’s chart-topping Intriguer, which in turn followed on from 2007’s Time on Earth – their first record since 1993. In 2019, Finn hinted towards the release of new music in the future, revealing he was embarking on “another chapter of Crowded House” following time spent as a member of Fleetwood Mac.
The band had also been slated to perform at the 2020 edition of Bluesfest, though the prevalence of COVID-19 saw their appearance cancelled, and fans left unsure as to whether the band would make up for these dates. Currently, there’s no word as to when Australians will get to see the group in the near future, though the arrival of their new song has also brought with it tour dates in Finn’s native home of New Zealand.
“We are thrilled and highly energised to be touring NZ in March,” Finn explained. “The shows will be a joyous occasion for us, with all the songs from our history that still resonate, some new music to unveil and our home crowds to share all that with…feeling truly blessed.”
Both the new music and tour dates see Crowded House featuring founding members Neil Finn and Nick Seymour in the lineup, along with producer and keyboardist Mitchell Froom, guitarist and singer Liam Finn, and drummer Elroy Finn. At this stage, it’s unknown whether “Whatever You Want” will be followed up by more singles in the future, or if a new album may be on the way.
Crowded House’s “Whatever You Want” is officially out now.
Crowded House “To the Island” Tour – New Zealand 2021
Thursday, March 4th, 2021
Claudelands Arena, Hamilton
Saturday, March 6th, 2021
Church Road Winery, Napier
Monday, March 8th, 2021
Trafalgar Centre, Nelson
Wednesday, March 10th, 2021
Christchurch Arena, Christchurch
Thursday, March 11th, 2021
Dunedin Town Hall, Dunedin
Saturday, March 13th, 2021
Gibbston Valley, Queenstown
Monday, March 15th, 2021
TSB Bank Arena, Wellington
Wednesday, March 17th, 2021
Regent Theatre, Palmerston North
Friday, March 19th, 2021
Spark Arena, Auckland
Saturday, March 20th, 2021
Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth
Tickets on sale from 12pm, Thursday, November 5th
Pre-sales begin at 11am, Wednesday, November 4th, and run for 24 hours
