It’s been one hell of an incredible year for North East singer-song writer Finn Forster. Having played a number of festivals up and down the country as well as continuing to bless countless fans with his great charisma and fantastic music. Just when you thought things couldn’t get any more epic, back in August Finn also signed to Interval Records.
Interval who themselves are a relatively new contender to the North East music scene, welcome Finn on board as the first official signed artist.
With so much to celebrate, and a good excuse for raising a glass of champers, we caught up with Finn as well as manager Chelsea Wood and Interval Records co-founder Josh Daniel to find out more about the next exciting steps.
So firstly, congratulations on the newest news, Finn, about signing to the label. How's it felt?
Finn: Thank you very much, it's great.
It's a lovely milestone for me as an artist. It's incredibly exciting to be moving forward in this new chapter, in this new era for me. I couldn't be surrounded by a better bunch of people.
I'm really looking forward to moving forward.
What's been the pinch myself moment of your journey so far?
Finn: I guess we've just been, well with Chelsea we like to set goals. It's kind of difficult, you don't realize everything you set out to achieve, especially in the goals you want to hit.
You work that much towards them, you put in that much work and if you don't really stop to look back on what's happened, you don't really realize. I think I had a bit of a pinch me moment only a couple of weeks ago, just about everything we've set out to achieve so far since we started working together. There was a real organized, structured plan when Chelsea came on board to retake things to the next level.
I think everything we set out to achieve has been knocking them down like dominoes and the icing on the cake was when Josh came on board. We signed to Jon Ollier as well from One Fiinix Live, that was really the goal to start working with a really great live agent, get a publisher on board, a Wixen Publishing. Just got a tonne of new music, I'm really excited about putting it out there and starting to work on it.
I guess there's been a massive loads of different positive things happening in quick succession and now the recent signing to Interval Records being the icing on the cake. So Chelsea, with Finn, what are some of the things you're proud of for him as a manager?
Honestly, the biggest thing for a manager is finding an artist that wants to take their career to the same place you want to take it and it's not as easy as it sounds. I work really hard but Finn is the hardest worker in the room.
That is when you get a really great project when a hard-working manager and an artist who wants it just as much come together. And like you mentioned there, we set goals and we go after things and there's never an expectation as such but we have gotten everything we've wanted. The label and the live agent were two things for this year and it's July and they're both done but that's testament to how hard Finn works.
So when I come with crazy schedules and crazy ideas and try this on social media and can write a song that sounds a bit like this, he's just all in and willing to try and that's why amongst that you can whittle out things that don't work and all you're left with is stuff that works. I'm genuinely, genuinely so proud of him because he deserves everything that's coming and this is just the beginning.
Do you feel that when you compare to when you first met him, how do you think he's grown in confidence?
Chelsea: Absolutely loads.
You know the main thing, it's like the North East is a small section of this country and I had to leave the North East to go to London to get some experience. So bringing that back and then looking at these amazing artists, Finn is one of many really in the region but for me to be able to bring a team around that helps him because I think you will agree with this, it's the people that build the artists over time. The core of the work is here, the core of the talent is here but it takes great team members to get that out of an artist.
So you've been going a really long time and you've done an amazing job of building your audience and live especially but I think in the last 18 months we've worked together, I've been able to bring that, I've been able to connect good people and great people with Finn to allow him to write the best songs he's ever written, be the best he is on socials and yeah, I don't know about you but I think you've done a really good job.
Finn: I never had that connection. Chelsea was the one who has the right connections with the right people and through, you know, just through her own experience of being out there.
How did you adjust to Chelsea's discipline at the very beginning?
Finn: I think that you can either be, you know, you can either be a person who can't take that and go against it and won't be able to handle it or you can be a person who kind of uses it to their advantage and, you know, just accepts it and works with it and I'm definitely that. I prefer it to be honest, I like working with someone because I'm like a giant idiot labrador. It's quite nice to have a bit of a contrast and structure, you know, someone who's organized.
Chelsea's touched on that briefly before but like for you as an artist in the northeast, what is it you love about our region?
Finn: Yeah, I just love the, I love coming from here, well I use it mostly in my work as well as much as I possibly can, I just think it's like, you know, we get a lot of stick but it's a beautiful area. You're 10 minutes away from beautiful countryside, you're 10 minutes away from the seaside and it's just, I try and I've always been an artist to use that creatively, whether it be it influences me and my writing and my journey or whether it's a physical influence in what I've actually used within visuals or my videos.
I've always leaned into it and been proud of it and been proud of where I'm from and I think the best possible thing that could happen for the likes of me, especially in a timing sense as well, time is also a really big, big thing I think and what's been perfect timing is in the book. You know, happening now and me being the first signee and it just falling into place, almost kind of, you know, like fate.
So when you met Josh for the first time, what was that conversation like?
Finn: Well, I met Josh briefly in 19 years, quite a few years, many years ago when we were on different paths, you know, like I was heading to auditioning for drama school and we kind of met briefly there across paths. I always say it's kind of, it's been awesome for me to know that man, I'm sure I've always been nice to people and being yourself, well I'd say being nice to you, I'd be myself.
When I've crossed paths with Josh again, six years later or maybe seven years later, everything's fell into place nicely but it's been nice to know that this is like an organic kind of relationship that we're meant to find each other again and work together within music so it's been awesome.
Josh, how has it been for you, not only reuniting with Finn but also taking this chapter with him forward?
Josh: I mean it's been brilliant and obviously it's still very early days for us but I think we all have very big ambitions and I think that's what I love is that we're all just on the same page. I think Chelsea absolutely nailed it on when she said you know when a hard-working manager meets an artist that wants it just as much and you've got a really incredible powerful synergy there.
They both worked incredibly hard to fill in you know the pieces and the roles around Finn that they know they're going to need to take him you know to kind of execute on those ambitions and I think as a label you know we've been tasked to find the best of the best in the North East.
Finn made it very easy for us to want to partner with him because it's very clear that he's out there doing the hard work. It's very clear that Chelsea is doing the same. You know I've got a good relationship with Chelsea and I think we always have the trust that we're all on the same page and we'll get there.
It is all about the people, it's really important so yeah I'm massively excited to you know for Finn to be the first sign of our roster and yeah can't wait for the next chapter.
So tell us a bit about what the Interval Records overall vision is.
Josh: Yeah so we're essentially the child of Generator and EMI North so we're the joint venture record label that's established between those two businesses and we kind of like echo EMI North's mission really in that they're kind of there to amplify talent outside of London.
Actually giving opportunities to artists for them to develop and have access to infrastructure that they maybe wouldn't have otherwise had just purely based on their geographical location. It all kind of echoes that really and we kind of take the brand from Generator who've worked for decades in this region trying to upskill music professionals and kind of create pathways into industry for artists.
Also we kind of take the band from them really and blow the doors to a major label wide open, so our vision is to kind of represent a diverse cross-section of the talent that we have in the region and to give them opportunities that wouldn't have been available to them and to partner and develop.
I think I'm very much taking a more traditional approach to the way that we're going to A&R and develop the talent and work for campaigns for the artists that we're working with. We want to commit long term, we're not about signing quick wins, we're about signing the right people, the right artists.
I think Finn and Chelsea both touched on timing being really important and I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and this does very much feel like a full circle moment all of these years later for us to come back together and for Finn and I to be in completely different areas of our lives and careers again but to have found a way to work together. It just felt like the right fit and the right time.
So what would your advice to Finn be about making the most of this journey?
Josh: I think just keep doing what he's already doing.
I think you know there's a lot of artists where you would have to teach them how to want it and teach them how to apply themselves and teach them how to work hard and you know they maybe wouldn't have their branding quite right and they maybe wouldn't understand what works for them on socials and then maybe there's kind of pieces that you would need to teach or need to fix.
I almost feel with Finn that he's doing so many things right already that for us it was never about signing Finn and then telling him that he needs to change x y and z about what he's doing.
I think it was more about as a label us putting another handful of brains in the room to help drive Finn forward and then giving him access to the major label resources which he wouldn't have had otherwise in the hopes that we'll be able to amplify his music even further and get him to where he ultimately deserves to be.
And Finn for you what's it like being the first of the roster?
Finn: It's great.
I've learned to love and lean into pressure. I don't know why that's because I grew up in you know going through drama school I was in and out of so many auditions where in so many final rounds for some huge sort of western stuff and tv stuff so I kind of just had to learn to love pressure I guess.
I've taken that with me I think in music as an artist and I actually really love it so it's yeah it's big big shoes to fill but then definitely ones that I'm willing to definitely fill and lean forward into.
Obviously like signing to a label is a major milestone for anyone and I guess this is for you well Chelsea so how do you know when it's the you mentioned timing but how do you know it's the right deal to say yes to?
Chelsea: Josh mentioned this but it's people so although a label deal was definitely a target for this year it all of that becomes non-existent if the people are not right yeah so you know originally I thought we'd be doing the rounds in London and meeting labels down there but when you go through releasing music with an artist and seeing them grow you get to a point where you start realising that the time is right.
Then it depends on you know things outside of your control and can we find the right team so I'll be totally honest we were not going to sign a major deal. I was actually pretty firm on that I was like it's too early for that discussion but Josh came along he's the right person and the team here are the right people and the passion they've got and it is reflected in the terms of the agreement. It's just the best possible situation we could have asked for quite frankly so timing yes was right but the people came along and when the people come along you don't turn them away.
A question for everyone, does it feel like for everyone I guess does it feel like very much like you've got that fire in your belly?
Josh: I mean from my side 100% because you know we're a new label so you know it's I'm also going to give Chelsea total respect because you know in the decision that these guys have taken they're also partnering with a major label that hasn't yet proven itself.
in a way you know we can't turn around and say well we've got a roster of 20 artists and these are all the campaigns we're responsible for but what we do have is a hunger in our bellies because we've got a lot of very important eyes on what we're doing.
Everyone's looking to the region right now and we've got an opportunity and so we feel like we've got something to prove as a label just as much as you know Chelsea and Finn feel like they've got something to prove and goals they want to accomplish and ambitions they want to achieve.
So I think it's a really nice partnership in that we're all we're all just as hungry where there may be certain situations label-wise that you know where Finn might find himself being one of many or being just a number or you know and the label is a matter to those labels because they're already making however many millions from all the headline artists.
We're a very very new venture where you know Finn is literally the first artist to come through our doors so I think I definitely have that hunger. Adam does as well as the rest of the team. We're definitely really ambitious and ready to go because we've got just as much to prove as anyone else.
Do you feel that being an artist yourself that's helped you recognize the voice of emerging talent?
Josh: I would say so yeah I think you know starting out as an artist and then moving into arts management I still do both of those things. I've had various businesses over the years so I feel like it's giving me this hybrid of you know understanding business and understanding creativity as well and so I'd like to think that yeah that it's given me an ear and an eye for talent.
I think as Chelsea said it's also the people you know and I think if it's people that you know are going to be great to work with and you know grounded people have no egos and are willing to learn and willing to develop and you know are willing to put the hard work in and they have an incredible talent , I think then there's no more ingredients really that are any more important than that. Finn you know most definitely has both of those things.
Chelsea what would your advice to Finn be?
Chelsea: Keep listening to me and Josh. You know what he already does it all. it's funny I speak to my other manager friends and they're like ask about Finn and I'm like you just wouldn't believe how much of a dream he is to work with because he just wants it and he works hard.
It's knackering sometimes but if you just take baby steps every single day keep your head down keep going like you will get there. I love this setup and actually to your to your point about Josh being an artist I love that because that goes against the grain because this industry loves to pigeonhole people. They have a habit of saying you can't be this you can't be that you're an artist or you're a label exec and I think Josh brings a really great wealth of experience being an artist that he can apply to this deal with Finn. So yeah I think you've got a great team around you and you just have to do what you do.
With this signing now official I guess for everyone what are you doing to celebrate?
Finn: I'm going for a lovely meal today. We've just finished a little bit of a listening party as well just for some demos and stuff just to kind of open up the doors to what to expect. Also with new music on the way it's been an exciting day all around today. Deffo a well deserved glass of champagne.
Josh: I am Most looking forward to just really getting going and just and just working hard and taking it up taking it up levels now across the whole board. I feel like we all feel like we've finally been like released to run because like you know these conversations take a long time processes take a long time and obviously we kind of from both sides wanted to make sure that what we're entering into is right for both sides. So I think Chelsea and I have taken you know real care over the last however many months to make sure that everything was right before we moved on it.
Chelsea: I think that was the most important thing for us I think now that you know we've finally signed the agreement and we've announced to the world that we're going to be working together, I think it's a big sigh of we can actually get to work now .
Thank you so much to the three of you. if there's one thing you from a label perspective for anyone that hasn't checked out the thing what's your recommendation for to encourage them to check you out?
Josh: I would say if they go to Spotify and press play on the first one they'll probably stick around!
All the best, heres to the future and the start of a brilliant and blossoming relationship.
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