Nearly forty years after arriving on the scene, Crowded House is having quite a resurgence in 2024.
Less than 2 months into this year, they've already had U2 cover one of their tracks in Vegas, Neil's performed an impromptu show at an Auckland market, and they've released a new single. Now, they've performed with the BBC orchestra, and people are in awe.
Neil and bassist Nick Seymour played the freshly released 'Oh Hi' with the backing of the BBC concert orchestra, and the full glorious performance lives on the BBC Music YouTube channel.
Commenters are impressed with this version of the track, with some saying they like it more than the original.
"Love this version," one person wrote. "Dare I say, even better than the single itself. Neil and Nick are legends."
"Not only is this a brilliant song but the performance, arrangement and mix are absolutely terrific," said another.
"The best piece of music I've heard in years," a third added.
"What a golden optimistic sound!" one more wrote. "Beautiful arrangement and singing."
Speaking on the meaning behind 'Oh Hi', Neil said that it has a "deep connection" to the international non-profit organisation 'So They Can', which builds schools in remote and impoverished parts of Tanzania and Kenya.
"I was inspired by children and thinking how much we need to let them learn and grow in safety and love," he said, as reported by the Herald. "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."
On the same day as the BBC performance, the band released the music video for the new tune. It features Neil's face superimposed on the body of a younger person's body as they dance and gymnastics flip their way around a town.
All this good stuff from Crowded House has me pumped for their upcoming album 'Gravity Stairs', which comes out at the end of May.
