Optimist is the debut LP by FINNEAS, released in October of 2021. The album is the culmination of a career of co-writing and producing for other artists. Now, he steps into the spotlight.
A parent’s occupation can influence a child’s plan. Therefore, when both parents are in the art industry, most likely the kid will follow in their footsteps.
Exactly what happened to FINNEAS O’Connell. Due to her mother being an actress, he began scoring screen time on TV Shows (e.g., Modern Family, Glee) and starred in movies (e.g., Life Inside Out).
On the other hand, due to his father being a singer, the instrumentations intrigued him as well. Hence, at the young age of 12 (2010), he commenced writing and producing.
In 2014, he and three other musicians formed the band “The Slightlys.” That same year, they released their debut EP, including the single “Superhero.”
Despite having a band, he wasn’t always writing for himself. In a way, acting classes helped him portray fictionalized characters. Thus, he applied it to co-writing and producing for other musicians such as Billie Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes” (2015).
Once the single hit Soundcloud, everything changed, and the formula of teaming up with his sister only made sense. From there on, they released Billie’s debut EP “Don’t Smile at Me” (2017), and the smash LP, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” (2019).
Afterward, he focused on his music. On October 4, 2019, he debuted his EP “Blood Harmony,” accompanied by four singles, including “I Lost A Friend.”
Optimist LP
Two years later, on October 15, 2021, his debut LP, Optimist, hit the web. Firstly, the album kicks off with the melancholic-tuned “A Concert Six Months From Now.”
However, “The Kids Are All Dying” and “Happy Now?” balance it with an uplifting beat and a catchy hook, respectively. Thirdly, “Love is Pain” and “Peaches Etude” give room to a beautiful piano playing in the background.
“Medieval” distinguishes itself from the previous tracks by drums being the protagonists instead of the piano. “What They’ll Say About Us” and “How It Ends” perfectly close a single-handedly written and produced record.
Nowadays, artists are either known as producers or singers. However, FINNEAS has broken the boundaries and is optimistic about conquering both lanes. That is, as a singer collaborator (e.g., Ashe), and as a producer (e.g., girl in red). His record label is OYOY. He is a Grammy Award Winner.
Naturally, siblings tend to pursue the older relative’s footsteps. So, once he chose to be a musician, his little sister followed suit.
Billie’s post premieres on July 30th, 2022. In the meantime, watch “Love is Pain” and stream FINNEAS’ “Optimist.”
