Idaho may be known more for its spud production than indie music, but that probably won’t last for long, thanks to Finn Riggins, the Gem State’s latest and greatest export.
The group started as the collaborative brainchild of three music school grads from the University of Idaho — Cameron Bouiss, Eric Gilbert and Lisa Simpson. The threesome met and started playing music together in 2000, and in August of 2006, Bouiss, Gilbert and Simpson quit their jobs and moved to Sun Valley, Idaho to stitch together the outlines of Finn Riggins at “the helibase” – a secret practice spot/tour launch pad.
Practices yielded shows, shows yielded tours and by the end of their first year as a group, Finn Riggins found themselves a national touring act that lived as much on the road as they did at home. In 2007, the band joined the Tender Loving Empire family, Portland’s beloved mom-and-pop label of Y La Bamba and Radiation City fame, for the release of their debut album, A Soldier, A Saint, An Ocean Explorer.
Finn Riggins‘ genre-defying approach to rock’n’roll, which makes it so hard for the music industry to define them, has yielded a long stream of varied explanations for their sound over the years. Some folks have called it experimental pop, or prog-pop, post-punk post-epic 70′s rock, synth-driven indie rock, and so on. I just call it good. One consistent thread through most of the press raves over the years has been the fact that Finn Riggins‘ sound is unique and fresh and doesn’t adhere to any particular trend. Their sound is still accessible, though, because of their pop-hooks; and an incredibly well executed and fun live show.
