Pajama Club
Encyclopedia
Pajama Club are a band formed in 2011 featuring Neil Finn
, Sharon Finn, Sean Donnelly
and Alana Skyring (formerly of The Grates
).
A self-titled debut album
was released in September 2011 (9 September in Australia/New Zealand, 13th in North America and 19th in Europe). They toured Australia in June 2011, East Coast USA in June and July 2011 and West Coast USA in August 2011.
Finn's children, Liam
and Elroy, left the family home to pursue their own musical careers, the parents wondered what to do to fill the time left open by their children's absence. The two decided to repair the music room in their Auckland
home and begin making music of their own: "We've had a bit more time on our hands since the boys left home, and we just decided to make a record. It was as simple as that. We called the group Pajama Club, because we were dressed in our pajamas when we started." Here, Sharon began to play the bass guitar
, while Neil sat behind the drum
set, despite the fact that neither had played either instrument before. Neil commented that "We found ourselves locking into these grooves which were incredibly fun to play...We naturally gravitated towards being 'funky'," drawing influence from South Bronx
band ESG
.
With Pajama Club, Neil employed a different style of songwriting, adding words to instrumentals as opposed to Crowded House
's method of writing instrument parts after the lyrics. He felt energized by the experience: "It was all new to me, it felt like starting over. When you've been doing something for as long as I've been writing songs, you can feel like you've exhausted your reservoir of ideas. Discovering new methods, new angles on songwriting, was very exciting." The music takes influence from dub
, disco
, and funk, and uses motorik
-style beats. He stated "Some people aren't gonna get it; it's not as 'songy', in a traditional way, as Crowded House...I like what happens when you keep yourself open to new things happening. It keeps the music fresh and alive." Pajama Club also features vocals from Sharon, who previously sang on a number of Crowded House songs.
Neil Finn
Neil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...
, Sharon Finn, Sean Donnelly
SJD (musician)
SJD, or Sean James Donnelly, is a musician from Auckland, New Zealand. His music is a mix of electronica, pop-rock, and soul. The name SJD also refers to Donnelly's touring band when not performing solo....
and Alana Skyring (formerly of The Grates
The Grates
The Grates are a two-piece band from Brisbane, Australia, comprising Patience Hodgson and John Patterson . They have been lauded for their catchy songs and enthusiastic and energetic live shows, as Patience spends much of the time bouncing around, even while singing...
).
A self-titled debut album
Pajama Club (album)
Pajama Club is the eponymous 2011 debut album by Pajama Club, the band formed by Crowded House songwriter Neil Finn and his wife Sharon Finn....
was released in September 2011 (9 September in Australia/New Zealand, 13th in North America and 19th in Europe). They toured Australia in June 2011, East Coast USA in June and July 2011 and West Coast USA in August 2011.
Background
After Sharon and NeilNeil Finn
Neil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...
Finn's children, Liam
Liam Finn
Liam Mullane Finn is a New Zealand musician and songwriter. Born in Australia, he moved to New Zealand as a child...
and Elroy, left the family home to pursue their own musical careers, the parents wondered what to do to fill the time left open by their children's absence. The two decided to repair the music room in their Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
home and begin making music of their own: "We've had a bit more time on our hands since the boys left home, and we just decided to make a record. It was as simple as that. We called the group Pajama Club, because we were dressed in our pajamas when we started." Here, Sharon began to play the bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, while Neil sat behind the drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
set, despite the fact that neither had played either instrument before. Neil commented that "We found ourselves locking into these grooves which were incredibly fun to play...We naturally gravitated towards being 'funky'," drawing influence from South Bronx
South Bronx
The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of The Bronx. The neighborhoods of Tremont, University Heights, Highbridge, Morrisania, Soundview, Hunts Point, and Castle Hill are sometimes considered part of the South Bronx....
band ESG
ESG (band)
ESG are a band that emerged from the South Bronx, New York, U.S. in the early 1980's. Trouser Press called it "one of the most dynamic bands that New York could offer at the top of the '80s." ESG have been influential across a wide range of musical genres, including hip hop, post punk, disco,...
.
With Pajama Club, Neil employed a different style of songwriting, adding words to instrumentals as opposed to Crowded House
Crowded House
Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
's method of writing instrument parts after the lyrics. He felt energized by the experience: "It was all new to me, it felt like starting over. When you've been doing something for as long as I've been writing songs, you can feel like you've exhausted your reservoir of ideas. Discovering new methods, new angles on songwriting, was very exciting." The music takes influence from dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
, disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
, and funk, and uses motorik
Motorik
Motorik is a term coined by music journalists to describe the 4/4 beat often used by "Krautrock" bands such as Neu! and Kraftwerk...
-style beats. He stated "Some people aren't gonna get it; it's not as 'songy', in a traditional way, as Crowded House...I like what happens when you keep yourself open to new things happening. It keeps the music fresh and alive." Pajama Club also features vocals from Sharon, who previously sang on a number of Crowded House songs.
Discography
- Pajama ClubPajama Club (album)Pajama Club is the eponymous 2011 debut album by Pajama Club, the band formed by Crowded House songwriter Neil Finn and his wife Sharon Finn....
- 2011 Lester Records (CD/Vinyl/Download) (UK chart peak: #154)