Like Canucks legends Daniel and Henrik Sedin, it’s really tough to ID Alanna and Brianne Finn-Morris, the identical twins of Fionn. It’s just as difficult to differentiate their voices in a conference call, as I again discovered mid-October when they were about to start a U.S. West Coast tour.
These are exciting days and nights for the Finn-Morris sisters, who have roots in White Rock/Surrey, now live in East Van and appear ready to take on the world with Scum, a new album that simmers with smart, catchy pop-rock songs many years in the making.
“You know, it’s a lot of feminine rage, that’s what I’ll say,” Alanna said a few days before album release. “It’s a lot of kind of angry, negative emotions channelled to music. It was a very cathartic album to make, for sure.”
Clearly there was a bad breakup or two in their past, because Scum sounds like an angrier, more jaded, eff-bomb-filled Jagged Little Pill, 30 years later, with “Blow” being the radio pick right now.
“It’s mainly rock,” Brianne confirmed, “but there are a couple more folky songs as well, so we did lean into our roots, our more folky side, and even a couple of love songs. We wanted to send it out on a positive note.”
While in high school at Holy Cross in Surrey, the sisters frequently gigged at restaurants, festivals and busking stops around town, close to 100 shows a year. By 2017 they were 19 and signed with 604 Records, the Vancouver company that brought the songs of Nickelback, Carly Rae Jepsen and other hit-makers to ears around the world.
“I signed them because of their raw musical talent,” recalled 604 boss Jonathan Simkin. “When you sign an artist at such a young age, it is risky because you have no way of knowing what kind of person that artist will become. Their lack of life experience was reflected in the early songs. So it has been wonderful to see how their journey into adulthood has been reflected in and documented by the music. The recent success of the single ‘Blow’ is a testament to their dedication and hard work. They have worked their butts off to get to this point, and it truly feels like the sky is the limit now.”
Pronounced “FEE-un,” Fionn twice performed in Surrey this year, first at the Let’s Hear It BC JUNOS music festival at Surrey Civic Plaza in March, then a Sounds of Summer free concert at Bear Creek Park in July.
This fall, following their first headlining U.S. tour dates, the sisters return for a homecoming concert Thursday, Nov. 20 at The Pearl in Vancouver, with Frank Mighty opening the 19-plus show. Tickets are $27.65 on ticketweb.ca.
In September, Fionn earned new fans after an electric afternoon performance on the B stage at Barnside Harvest Festival in Ladner.
“I feel like it’s kind of becoming more normal,” Brianne said of the enthusiastic reception for the harmonizing twins and backing band. “We played a festival in Mount Pleasant in the summertime, and it was kind of like that too, where there weren’t many people there before we got on stage, then suddenly there were tons of people. It was the same at Barnside where we were soundchecking and I thought, ‘Oh my god, is anybody even going to come watch?’ It was so empty.
“But then we got up (on stage) and suddenly there was a ton of people. It was such a good feeling, good energy. It’s not hard to put on a good show when you’re getting that kind of energy from the audience. It was very cool, much appreciated.”
Visit fionnband.com for more about Fionn, and watch videos on youtube.com/@Fionnband.