Fionn, the Vancouver-based folk-pop twin sister duo, are back with their new single “Let Me Go,” an electric and catchy dance track, as they get ready for the release of their new EP, Candid Constellations on May 21.
The songwriters have long grown up with music, having both parents involved in the craft, and even grew up watching their dad tour around Canada in an Irish showband. You can say that music has been in their blood and they were destined to follow in the same footsteps as their parents.
“We feel lucky to have parents that both had the knowledge and enthusiasm about music to fully support us in our dreams. Our dad taught us to harmonize and our mom booked all of our shows when we were teenagers. It was really amazing,” the sisters shared.
Being in a group already makes for incredible writing and recording sessions, but being twin sisters on top of that adds another level of both comfort and creativity. If one or the other wasn’t doing this, the duo feels like their music would sound completely different from what they’re releasing now because of how different their personalities and tastes are, the sound of Fionn is “a complete melding” of their “unique traits.”
Fionn’s vocals and retro-inspired beats on “Let Me Go” follow the likes of the music we hear on mainstream radio today, especially by artists who the duo felt inspired by such as Dua Lipa and The Weeknd. It even inspired them to make a full EP of songs with the vintage pop sound.
Their single, “Let Me Go,” is a great setup for how the rest of the project will sound, with the song telling the story of finally letting something go that was holding you back before.
“‘Let Me Go’ is a song about giving someone the power in a relationship and wanting to be free of the spell they have you under,” Fionn said. “We wanted the video to be feminine and dramatic, portraying the sweet upbeat nature of the song along with the darker elements of the production and subject matter.”
Their EP Candid Constellations will also discuss similar themes with “a mix of moody pop songs and feel-good bops” that will help get rid of any remaining “pandemic blues” you may still have. You can pre-save the EP here.
Make sure to keep up with Fionn and their music by following them on Instagram and Twitter.
Read the rest of our interview with Fionn down below as they share what their writing process for “Let Me Go” was like, who they grew up listening to, what their favorite track on their EP is.
Celeb Secrets: Hi, Alanna and Brianne, thank you so much for chatting with us today! You’re sisters and go by the group name of Fionn. Can you tell us the story behind picking the group name?
FIONN: “‘Fionn’ is our last name ‘Finn’ in Irish! Our dad traveled from Ireland to Canada in a band, so we felt the name would be fitting for our band!”
CS: Typically, sibling musical pairings tend to come from very musical parents, would that also apply to you? If so, what did your parents do that really impacted you both to want to pursue music?
F: “Both of our parents are very musical. Our dad toured Canada in an Irish showband for many years and our mother owns a music school in our hometown. They met teaching piano at the same music school in Vancouver. We feel lucky to have parents that both had the knowledge and enthusiasm about music to fully support us in our dreams. Our dad taught us to harmonize and our mom booked all of our shows when we were teenagers. It was really amazing!”
CS: How would you describe FIONN and the music you make?
F: “Our sound is rooted in our vocal harmony. Even though we have tried different genres on this musical journey, we always keep them as the focal point! In the past year we have shifted into a modern disco-pop sound that we are absolutely loving, and writing the upbeat songs on ‘Candid Constellations’ has really helped us get through this pandemic.”
CS: Being not only sisters but twins must have an incredible impact on the music you make together. Do you feel like you’d be creating something different if that weren’t the case?
F: “We feel so blessed to have each other on this journey and do believe that our sound wouldn’t be the same if it were just one of us. We have very different personalities and tastes, so what you are seeing and hearing is a complete melding of our unique traits. We always push each other to try new things!”
CS: Was there a specific moment that you both realized that music was something you wanted to make a career out of?
F: “We have always known that we wanted to be touring musicians. Our dad used to tell us stories about being on the road and we thought it was the coolest! The obsession extended as far as making our stuffed animals a family band and sending them on tour every day after school!”
CS: Which artists did you look up to when growing up? What about now?
F: “We always looked up to our parents’ favorites such as Elton John, Simon and Garfunkel, Fleetwood Mac, and Joni Mitchell, but also developed our own taste which consisted of artists like Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, and Lorde. Right now it definitely varies. We are loving the new Taylor records, were heavily inspired by Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia, and love pop artists such as Doja Cat, Ava Max, and Troye Sivan. We also love listening to alternative and indie artists such as K Flay and Greta Issac. We appreciate all kinds of music and really don’t believe in being boxed into one genre. We’ve been writing folk songs alongside pop songs, it just depends on whatever emotion we are bringing forth at the moment!”
CS: How have those artists, if at all, influenced your career today?
F: “We think any artist that has inspired us to create has influenced our career. There are some artists who have been behind the inspiration for many of our songs that don’t even share the same genre as us! Because of this, we think any melody that can invoke a spark of emotion can inspire any kind of music!”
CS: You just released your new single, “Let Me Go,” tell us a little bit about the writing process for that.
F: “We wrote “Let Me Go” with our friend and producer Jared Manierka. While he focused mainly on melody and chords, we based the lyrics and themes on experiences we’ve had in ‘situationships’, where the lines are unclear in a relationship, yet you give all the power to the other person. The writing process was interesting because it was one of the first songs we wrote and recorded remotely near the start of the pandemic and there was a lot of adjusting to do.”
CS: You’re also getting ready to release a new EP. What can you tell us about it?
F: “Candid Constellations is a mix of moody pop songs and feel-good bops that have lifted us from our blues during the pandemic. There are similar themes throughout the EP about being in a complicated ‘situationship’ but eventually breaking free and finding your own power. It was a real combination of processing some things that had happened to us in the few years before the pandemic, and letting them go with a positive twist! We were really inspired by artists like Dua Lipa and The Weeknd, who have brought back some vintage pop sounds and twisted them into something modern. We wanted to try creating something like that but in our own way. It’s been a blast!”
CS: What topics will you be exploring in this new project?
F: “The topics range between recounting fun experiences we had pre-pandemic and talking about our experiences in certain ‘situationships’. The EP ends on a positive note with finding the confidence to let go and find our own power.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNu8VSrF6Gg/
CS: What do you like most about this EP?
F: “We love how upbeat and fun some of the songs are. We had never written any real dance or up-tempo songs and it was so fun to explore a new side of songwriting.”
CS: Do you each have a favorite track? Or maybe one that you feel most proud of?
Brianne: “I would have to say that my favorite track of the moment is “Hold Off,” it’s all about coming out of a bad relationship and finding the power and self-confidence to move on and have your own fun.”
Alanna: “I think that my favorite is “Taste for It.” The song’s dark twist on disco makes me feel cool just listening to it!”
CS: What message do you hope your fans take from this new EP?
F: “We hope that the songs can help anyone who has been in similar situations to process what they have been through and feel uplifted by the end of it!”
CS: What goals do you hope to accomplish this year?
F: “Initially our main goal for this year was to finish recording and creating a brand new vibe for Candid Constellations through music videos and photoshoots. Now we just want to keep working and writing more material for our future projects!”
CS: Since we are Celeb Secrets, is there a secret you can share with us regarding your new EP? Or maybe something about each of you that people would be surprised to hear?
F: “Our new EP is going to include three new songs and a bonus track!”
