andPOP » CSI

Fink’s Journey To The Top Not Revolutionary, But It Works

Emma Renda — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:02:03 +0000

Fin Greenall, more famously known as UK singer-songwriter Fink, tours in a bus just like every other mid-level musician out there.

But if it were up to him, his ultimate tour would go a little something like this: roaming through the English countryside or vast stretches of North American highway on a motorbike, with the rest of his band and gear following in a van behind him. Granted he lifted most of the idea from biker-metal band Slayer, Greenall can’t be blamed for inventing a rock star fantasy to give an edge to his gentle acoustic guitar-wielding persona.

He muses for a moment about the very bad-ass nature of such a tour, blithely tallying the unpleasant logistics involved. But Greenall isn’t about to let a stiff behind and a few bugs in his teeth cramp his style.

“The problem with fantasies, the reality is that they’re a bummer,” says Greenall. “Sometimes you gotta go, ‘Well yeah, in Easy Rider those bikes look pretty uncomfortable. But you still look pretty fucking cool when you’re driving down the street.’”

It seems an unlikely way to start an interview with the angel-voiced tenor from Brighton, England. Yet Greenall somehow morphs the motorcycle daydream into an allegory for his music career, and ultimately, his life.

“You have to find the balance between what is doable and ‘Actually, that would suck,’” Greenall tells andPOP. “I wouldn’t be doing music at all. [People said] ‘Dude, you’re not going to be able to do it.’ And I said, ‘Well, fuck it. I’ll do it anyway.’”

That was almost nine years ago when he released his mellow groove debut, Fresh Produce. His next release, Biscuits for Breakfast in 2006, was the first in what would become a trio – so far – of his signature acoustic sound. Sort of Revolution, his next installment with the legendary Ninja Tunes label (home of Kid Koala, among others), dropped worldwide Sept. 8.

Greenall’s career began with some casual DJ gigs throughout England, which eventually boosted him to cult-level celebrity status. He started to produce dance tracks, then began penning songs for other musicians before he decided to take on a few of his tunes himself. “It definitely wasn’t the plan. I was working with other singers and songwriters as a writer,” says Greenall. “I worked with this chick Amy Winehouse who was right out of school. She was just awesome, mind-bendingly brilliant.”

Amy Winehouse isn’t the only household name Greenall can list on his resume. He actually co-wrote John Legend’s single, “Green Light” featuring Andre 3000, a favour which was reciprocated by Legend co-writing two songs and adding guest piano on Sort of Revolution. During his studio days, Greenall remixed songs for Nina Simone, Elbow, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Robert Belfour. He has toured endlessly throughout the United Kingdom – notching roughly 300 dates with his band, bassist Guy Whittaker and Tim Thornton – and has opened for the likes of Massive Attack and Zero 7, as well as appearing at a number of major musical institutions, including London’s Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall in NYC, and most recently had a gig at BBC’s Maida Vale studios.

The decision to pursue his own career was an offhand one, which he pitched to Ninja Tunes and got the go ahead, to the point of being signed on as the label’s first singer-songwriter.
“It was like, ‘Damn, I wish I’d done this earlier,’” says Greenall. “But I didn’t have the life experience or the baggage, I needed something to write about.”

Despite being almost a decade into his solo career, Greenall says he is still trying to work out what it all means.

“My first battle was whether or not I wanted how I feel about stuff on record,” says Greenall.
But Greenall isn’t exactly shy, just cunning. Although his lyrics are never entirely direct, Greenall doesn’t avoid candid subject matter. He describes his approach to song-writing as a retreat back in time where he relives the moment that triggered the idea for the song in the first place. Often it means disappearing into a dark hole for days on end if the content is particularly sensitive.

Sometimes it means legwork, in the case of “Six Weeks,” when a girl Greenall was involved with dropped the infamous “L” word and he didn’t know how to respond.

“It’s a situation that everybody’s been in and I wanted to write a song about it, because [Bob] Dylan hasn’t done it and he’s pretty much done everything else,” says Greenall, with a chuckle. “I asked my mates and I asked my girlfriends. I said, ‘I’m not in love with her yet, what should I do?’ And they said, ‘Pretty much you’ve got a month maybe. If she’s not worth having, she’ll leave you.’”

It’s not exactly a love song, but Greenall’s deep coo and lullaby melodies give every song of his a romantic touch.

The album’s first single, “Sort of Revolution” is a six-and-a-half-minute acoustic epic that reads like a mild protest song and actually flows like a ballad. Rather than pointing fingers, Greenall is extending his hand to the disenchanted around him, suggesting a revolution is not only possible but imminent. (”We come so far, there’s no going back/ All this time we’ve been running from it/ Where we are and where we’re going to / We’ll organise a Sort of Revolution.”)

“Most songs, the idea happens whenever. It takes a couple of minutes to go, ‘I love that, I must remember that,’” says Greenall. “Lyric writing happens in spurts. I have to be ready to catch it when it comes out. With enough whiskey and marijuana, it will definitely happen.”
As for the music, Greenall uses a minimalist’s blend of acoustic guitar and lush vocal harmonies to round out his track lists, and often a dash of synth probably out of habit. “Walkin’ in the Sun” even features a gospel choir, while “Q & A” is backed by a vague beat-boxing riff.

His sound is diverse but accessible – like a Damien Rice demo set to the soundscape of Thom Yorke’s Eraser. It’s sparse, but with the touching lyrical charm, it’s no wonder Greenall is still in demand after three albums of this kind.

After spending the month of August at his home in Brighton playing sporadic gigs through Europe, including several musical festivals, Greenall is about to embark once again on the road. With Sort of Revolution now in record stores worldwide, he has scheduled an extended tour of the UK, France, Germany and North America to promote it. Despite the stretches spent on a tour bus – rather than his whimsical two-wheeled mode of transportation – Greenall says being overbooked is a good problem.

“It’s good to be busy, it’s good to be in demand,” says Greenall. “The weirdest thing is that we’ve already put so much time, effort, money, blood, sweat and tears and we’ve only just begun. We’re a quarter of the way through. We have to get our energy back, we’ve just started and that is a bit terrifying.”

Fishburne Says That He Never Watched CSI

andPOP Staff — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:48:38 +0000

Although he’s the newest CSI cast member, academy award nominee, Laurence Fishburne says that prior to auditioning for the show he’d never seen an episode of “CSI”.

According to CTV.ca, Fishburne said in an interview, “I felt a little stupid and embarrassed that I hadn’t watched the show.”

When William Petersen, who plays lead character, Gil Grissom, announced that he was leaving the show earlier this year, producers started searching for a new lead character for the crime series.

Starting early 2009, Fishburne will play a character called “The Professor”.

Petersen will make guest appearances on the show and will continue to be an executive producer for the series.

Fishburne will start taping with the series in September.

William Petersen Leaves ‘CSI’

Eva Lam — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:38:42 +0000

William Petersen has decided to leave “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” after more than eight seasons as forensics specialist Gil Grissom.

The tenth episode of the hit show’s upcoming season will be Peterson’s last as a full-time series regular, executive producer Carol Mendelsohn confirmed to Entertainment Weekly.

However, the original cast member will return for occasional guest appearances and will stay on as a “CSI” executive producer.

“I’m in a great place in terms of knowing that I’ll be more free to make choices.”,” Petersen told EW. “And I’m responsible enough to not do it in a way that would hurt [the show].

“I want it to work for the writers, I want it to work for the cast, and, most importantly, I want it to work for the audience,” he said. “I don’t want them to abandon the show.”

Petersen, who took a break during the 2006-07 season to perform in a play, has more stage projects lined up in the near future, including a starring role in “Dublin Carol” at Steppenwolf beginning Nov. 13.

“CSI,” which debuted in fall 2000, will feature the return of several familiar faces in the episodes leading up to Grissom’s departure, including former colleague and love interest Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox), Lady Heather (Melinda Clarke) and the Miniature Killer.

A new male investigator is also set to join the series, though the role has yet to be cast.

“CSI” finished last season as CBS’s top-rated series and ranked No. 9 among all shows with an average weekly audience of 17 million.

It has spawned two successful spinoffs, “CSI: Miami” and “CSI: New York.”

Canadian Actress Joins ‘CSI’

Irene Ogrodnik — Mon, 19 May 2008 08:21:09 +0000

Lauren Lee Smith is left to fill in the void left by Gary Dourdan and Jorja Fox. “The L Word” star is set to join “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” as a series regular next season, CBS has announced.

The Vancouver-born actress will play Bryce Adams— a “smart, flirtatious and witty nonconformist” — who got into police work to rebel against her judgmental psychiatrist father. Adams is set to join Gil Grissom’s team in the night shift.

Fox and Dourdan have left the show after failing to draw out new contracts. Smith had a recurring role on Showtime’s “The L Word” as sous chef Lara Perkins and played Emma DeLauro in the show “Mutant X.”

‘CSI’ star speaks out about arrest

Irene Ogrodnik — Sun, 04 May 2008 22:27:29 +0000

CSI star Gary Dourdan is talking about his recent arrest—and he’s ashamed.

”Obviously I am embarrassed to find myself in this situation, and I am profoundly grateful to everyone for their support,” said in a statement to People. “I have complete confidence in and respect for the justice system and will cooperate fully with any investigation.”

This past weekend an e-mail exchange between Access Hollywood host Shaun Robinson and Dourdan was a posted on Accesshollywood.com. Although a spokesperson for Dourdan said the e-mail was not intended for publication, Access Hollywood disagrees.

“The statement from Gary Dourdan to Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson was clearly on the record,” said a spokesperson for the entertainment show.

Gary ‘Warrick’ Dourdan Leaving ‘CSI’

andPOP Staff — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:47:35 +0000

The CSI lab is about to get a little less crowded.

TV Guide is reporting that cast member Gary Dourdan will be leaving CSI: Crime Scene Investigation when his contract expires next month. Although they could not pinpoint the episode when the character Warrick will make his grande exit, they estimate that it will be the season finale on May 15.

William Petersen, who plays Grissom, has renewed his contract with the show. Castmates Marg Helgenberger and George Eads are expected to do the same.

According to the TV Guide’s “Ask Ausiello,” the show’s producers are now looking for a new actor “in his late twenties to early thirties to play Ray Santoro, a ‘handsome, smart and athletic’ CSI who transfers from Henderson to join the graveyard shift at the Las Vegas crime lab.”

CSI Team’s ‘Eleventh’ Adaptation

andPOP Staff — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 10:52:54 +0000

CSI veterans Jerry Bruckheimer and Danny Cannon are developing a pilot for their adaptation of the British series, The Eleventh Hour.

The pair will stick close to the original show’s format, which told the story of a government scientist and his female bodyguard who travel the country investigating scientific phenomenon.

Though only a pilot has been ordered so far, CBS is reportedly very committed to the project and will likely make a full 13-episode order.

The company has already picked up another Bruckheimer project this season, a show about freelance treasure hunters.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation premieres tonight in its eighth season.

Grey’s Anatomy Takes Thursday Night Primetime From CSI

andPOP Staff — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 18:00:32 +0000

“Grey’s Anatomy” beat out “CSI” in a match of TV drama titans last night as the two shows went head-to-head for the first time.

The season premiere of ABC’s hospital drama “Grey’s Anatomy” came out on top with 25 million viewers overall in its first foray into primetime Thursdays. That’s three million more viewers than what CBS crime show “CSI” managed to pull in with its season premiere episode, which featured a musical appearance by Grammy winner John Mayer.

“Grey’s Anatomy” also won the No. 1 rating among adults aged 18 to 49, according to Nielsen Media Research. The show has grown tremendously in popularity since it debuted last year, and now boasts an additional six million viewers.

CBS Announces Fall Season

andPOP Staff — Wed, 17 May 2006 17:21:56 +0000

The new CBS schedule is very close to its old one – few comedies and long on Law-and-Order-CSI-type dramas.

Renewed shows include all three of the ?CSI? franchises, NCIS, Criminal Minds, Ghost Whisperer, Close to Home, Numb3rs, Cold Case, The Unit and Without a Trace.

Comedies that were renewed include ?How I Met Your Mother,? ?Two and a Half Men? and ?The New Adventures of Old Christine.? ?The King of Queens? was renewed, but not scheduled so that Kevin James can pursue a movie career with greater ease.

New shows include a comedy called ?The Class? about a group of friends who reunite at their third grade reunion and dramas, which include ?Smith,? ?Shark,? ?Jericho? and a medical drama ?3 LBS.”

Series that were permanently cancelled include ?Love Monkey,? ?Still Standing,? ? Yes, Dear,? ?Out of Practice,? ?Threshold,? and ?Courting Alex.?

CBS will move ?Without a Trace? from Thursdays at 10 p.m. to Sundays at 10 p.m., an apparent move to challenge rival network ABC.

“The Amazing Race” will move to Sundays from Tuesdays and “Survivor” will remain in its Thursdays at 8 timeslot.