Crowded House’s Neil Finn Reveals He Auditioned For Fleetwood Mac

Neil Finn of Crowded House revealed his unexpected audition for Fleetwood Mac.

In the June issue of Mojo, Finn disclosed:

“It’s the only audition I’ve ever done.
“I went to Hawaii and Mick spent an hour telling me it wasn’t an audition, but it was. I was auditioning them too: I wasn’t sure it was the right thing. I was quite conflicted, but I liked the people and the welcome was universal.”

Despite initial reservations, Finn couldn’t ignore the magnitude of the opportunity. Even his son Liam, with whom he had recently collaborated on an album, had doubts. Yet, Finn couldn’t resist. Joining a revamped Fleetwood Mac lineup in 2018 alongside Mike Campbell, the longtime Tom Petty sideman, was an offer he couldn’t refuse. Finn admitted:

“I was gobsmacked.
“I was 60 and I’d had a wonderfully diverse musical life when Mick called and said, ‘We’ve got rid of Lindsey [Buckingham]; would you play with us?’ I’d just done Lightsleeper with Liam so he had a vested interest in my not doing it, but he said, ‘Give it a shot,’ so I auditioned.”

Following his stint with Fleetwood Mac, Finn collaborated with Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie on the charity single “Find Your Way Back Home.” Now, he’s gearing up for the release of Crowded House’s eighth album, Gravity Stairs, featuring Liam on guitars, vocals, and drums, slated for May 31. Meanwhile, Fleetwood Mac seems to have gone dormant since McVie’s passing in 2022.

“It doesn’t currently exist,” Finn confirmed, noting his lack of communication with Buckingham post-split. Despite any animosity within the band, Finn expressed a desire to reconcile with Buckingham. “No, but I’d really like to have a dinner with him,” he stated. “There’s a lot of ill-will [with the others], but I don’t think he bears any towards me – and I do think he had prior appreciation of the music I’d made. Hopefully, once he got over the massive disappointment, he’d have thought, ‘At least someone with something going for them is singing my songs.'”

Meeting the Challenge of Filling Lindsey Buckingham’s Shoes

Finn discusses the potential challenges for any guitarist replacing Buckingham in a reformed Fleetwood Mac, highlighting Stevie Nicks’s high expectations. He elaborates on the dynamic, noting the pressure Nicks placed on Mike Campbell to emulate Buckingham’s style, even during solos, which sometimes led to exhaustion for Nicks during performances.