Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Crowded House announce new single ‘Oh Hi’ - Neil Finn reveals uplifing inspiration

NZ Herald
8 Feb, 2024 07:06 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Neill Finn was at the Coatesville Markets today doing a surprise performance. He drew a big crowd and he was brilliant. When people walked by and realised it was him they couldn’t believe it.

The legendary Crowded House are back with a brand new single.

The band, founded by Kiwi icon Neil Finn and Australians Paul Hester and Nick Seymour, are known for their hit songs Don’t Dream It’s Over and Weather With You - now they have a new tune and it has a special meaning behind it.

Titled Oh Hi, the three-minute-long song was produced by the band along with Steven Schram and aims to be a “friendly tune” dabbling in colourful spirals of guitar and a chorus worthy of repeat sing-alongs, but it’s the inspiration behind the hit that will tug on your heart strings.

Fronted by Finn, the main man said in a statement released to the Herald that the single has a “deep connection” to So They Can - an international non-profit focused on building schools in remote parts of Kenya and Tanzania.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Finn confessed the inspiration for the single came from the children in the African countries, noting: “I was inspired by children and thinking how much we need to let them learn and grow in safety and love,”

He added: “Then we could learn from them. There are so many out of view that can be magnificent if only given a microphone and a lightbulb.”

Singer and guitarist Neil Finn of Crowded House. Photo / Getty Images
Singer and guitarist Neil Finn of Crowded House. Photo / Getty Images

The single is now available on music-streaming platforms.

The single announcement comes after the Kiwi music legend stunned attendees of a Sunday Auckland market last weekend, playing a surprise performance with former Split Enz counterpart Eddie Rayner.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Finn took to the stage at the Coatesville markets after requests from the organisers for him to perform.

Neil Finn stunned attendees of a Sunday Auckland market last week, playing a surprise performance with former Split Enz counterpart Eddie Rayner.
Neil Finn stunned attendees of a Sunday Auckland market last week, playing a surprise performance with former Split Enz counterpart Eddie Rayner.

Hundreds of people amassed to catch a glimpse of Finn, with a witness telling the Herald he played “all the bangers”.

“He was absolutely awesome. When people walked by and realised it was him they couldn’t believe it,” they said.

Crowded House has seen global success since their debut in 1986 with the release of their self-titled album. Featuring iconic smash hits Something So Strong and Don’t Dream It’s Over, the album went platinum and has since seen covers from multiple top-charting artists including Miley Chris, U2 and Ariana Grande.

In 1996, the band announced their hiatus following an unforgettable performance on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in which they played to 150,000 fans.

After nine years, the band regrouped following the passing of founding member Hester, and created two new albums, Time On Earth in 2007 and Intriguer in 2010 before being inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

In 2020 the group returned with yet another Crowded House era, this time being joined by Mitchell From and Finn’s two sons Liam and Elroy Finn.

Together, the band released Dreamers Are Waiting the following year which won an ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album.


Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Watch: The latest highlights from Smokefreerockquest and Showquest

Waikato Herald

NZ actress accuses Australian policeman of using CCTV to spy on her

Lifestyle

Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Watch: The latest highlights from Smokefreerockquest and Showquest
Lifestyle

Watch: The latest highlights from Smokefreerockquest and Showquest

Regional finals from Auckland, Canterbury, Far North, Northland, Nelson and Wairarapa.

14 Jul 10:25 PM
NZ actress accuses Australian policeman of using CCTV to spy on her
Waikato Herald

NZ actress accuses Australian policeman of using CCTV to spy on her

06 Jul 12:48 AM
Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu
Lifestyle

Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu

03 Jul 06:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP