He’ll describe his music and ponder on his experiences with eloquence, but when questioned about the essence of himself, the “who is Finn Wolfhard?” line of enquiry, we see the Hollywood press training wither away. At his core, he’s a down-to-earth young adult trying to navigate his way in the world, unsure of himself - just like the rest of us. He’s been coached and surrounded by loved ones throughout his teen years, navigating the limelight. Now he’s been thrust into finding his feet without a preconceived script or clear-cut direction, but as a solo musician, reintroducing himself away from previous bands Calpurnia and The Aubreys, just wanting to be heard. 

“Met Gala fashion icon”, he states with a chuckle when presented with his diverse accolades, “meets musician, meets gala member”, he produces after a brief thought. With “actor” missing a mention in his opening sentiment, the purposeful distancing of his projects is immediately clear: “I’m reintroducing myself as a young adult, someone coming out of a time where I was in Stranger Things for my whole childhood, the whole time in which I was making music, and now I get to express myself through that. I’m showing people that I’m really passionate about it, and I’m really excited to release the new record”. Where his debut, ‘Happy Birthday’, ushered in the start of this re-establishment, his sophomore record ‘Fire From The Hip’ is a marked sonic evolution, and digs deeper into who Wolfhard is, away from acting, which is only a “sliver” of who he is: “it gives a different perspective for people who have this preconceived idea of who I am, and hopefully that comes through in the lyrics. It’s personal, but there's levity, optimism and a sense of humour throughout the writing that I do”.

He’s aware of the leg-up his already-found success has given his career in music, but that, in and of itself, is a double-edged sword demanding careful navigation. Yes, Wolfhard may already have a dedicated fanbase ready to devour any project he’s involved in, but he’s having to flip perspectives, show this more vulnerable, raw side of himself and have his devotees be receptive to this change in pace. He humbly dotes on the fact that he hasn't had to build an audience from scratch, and notes how “lucky” he is to be in his position in such a tumultuous industry: “I’m able to share my music in a way that not a lot of people can, and I’m really lucky when it comes to that. I’m fine to do any work to show people that it’s something I'm super passionate about, and I’m lucky to have people come to the shows, but it’s the other side of it - you have to make people want to stay and have a great time. It’s a really fun and great challenge to flip people’s perspectives of who they think I am before they walk into a show”. The transition between art forms itself, however, hasn’t been smooth or easy: “The truth is, for most bands that are making music, it’s very very hard to get people to listen to you, and I did have a leg up, but it’s something that you have to maintain,” he confesses, “I’m trying to work hard at making the music really good, and I want people to connect with it, past who I am as an actor, or whatever people know me for”.

Though he wants to be perceived as a mature adult venturing into music, rather than the young and adventurous, fiercely loyal Dungeon Master Mike Wheeler, one thing he’s not doing is letting go of the freedom and spontaneity of boyhood. The title of his sophomore record, ‘Fire From The Hip’, at its core, for Wolfhard, represents a deep-seated impulsivity: “There’s something cool about the idea of saying “f*ck it, I’m gonna do this thing”, and not really thinking about it”, he says. “It shows that you don’t have any fear in a lot of ways. There’s a difference between creative and social impulsivity, both of which I have. To me, it’s about committing to something and trying it out. If it fails? Alright, move on to the next thing. Impulsivity is definitely to blame for this record,” he adds, nodding to our moniker, “The Slaps, my backing band, they’re to blame; there are a lot of people to blame for this record”.

With this second project, he’s not necessarily feeling more confident with his place in the music industry, but instead is buckling down and focusing on continuing to make music that has an impact – even if it’s only his nearest and dearest that connect with it – “that’s what's important to me”. Yet, at the back of his mind, he still has apprehensions about reception: “when you’re putting out an album, you’re nervous about people’s perception and what they’re going to think”, noting, however, that he’s aware of his lack of control over the outcome. 

“Everyone has their own kind of relationship with music and listening to music. For me, it makes me feel confident and inspired that life can get a bit easier - it inspires you to be able to do something,” is the sentiment he offers when queried on what he wants fans to take from ‘Fire From The Hip’. Here, he focuses on romanticising the little things, idealising, even if it's just a fan listening to a song of his in the car, and finding escape in the catchy hooks: “For me, it's the little things that are so important in life. Everyone has their struggles and challenges in life, but if it can be a little fun, like a good rock and roll show, music can make you feel really good, and if I can do that with others, give them that feeling, then great!”.

A band that’s consistently attributed as doing this for Wolfhard is The Beatles. Recently, he directed the stop-motion music video for the late George Harrison’s ‘Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)’, an opportunity facilitated by the lead guitarist’s son, Danny Harrison. The task, though incredibly special for Wolfhard to be part of the Harrison legacy, came with the weight of doing the legend justice, to “do right” by him, whilst treading carefully not to exploit his imagery. Opting for animation for the associated virtue, Wolfhard noted the extra timeless quality the art form possesses: “He [George Harrison] loved film, and had this great sense of humour, and had a production company called Handmade Films. We didn’t want to do a video that used someone else, or someone doing a voice, or anything disrespectful, but with cartoons there’s a certain innocence. The Beatles were all amazing at connecting people universally, whatever age they were, and animation is something that ties all those groups together, younger and older people, so it felt natural. For Danny and Olivia Harrison to trust me to do that was the best thing ever; I was really honoured. I feel like I know George Harrison, but I don’t - the only thing you can really do is love the music and do right by it”. Wolfhard went on to dote on the quartet, noting that whilst knowing they’re “just people”, he holds a lot of admiration, and “worships them in a lot of ways.. They’re ‘living’ legends”. 

It wasn’t just the Liverpudlian heroes, however, that prompted the direction he inevitably took with his own music. One key aspect of the Stranger Things universe is the number of musicians that’ve passed through its doors. Though now operating under the solo moniker Djo, Joe Keery was the frontman of Post Animal, Maya Hawke is making her mark with her dainty, folk-veined cuts, and both Charlie Heaton and Caleb McLaughlin have dabbled in the industry. Though most of their music careers pre-dated the TV series, Wolfhard adds that the soundtrack was a vital part of the show, and this “bled through” into their collective repertoires of sonic influences. “The soundtrack is so iconic with the synths and everything,” he emphasises, “but I also think it was a coincidence: Joe was already in a band, I was already playing music, so I just think there’s some overlapping. The show is chock-full of music, and it is a huge part of it.”

Closer to home, with the release of ‘Fire From The Hip’ on the horizon, he’s taking time for himself. On the back of a family vacation (“slash work trip”) in Europe, where he hosted a surprise listening party in London at a tightly kept secret location for his most devoted fans, he’s returned to his home in Canada before the first leg of his ‘The Common Side Effects’ American tour. 

What’s vital to take away here is that he’s not just the kid on the bike anymore; he’s a mature musician. He’s Finn Wolfhard, down-to-earth and laying himself bare through his purposefully penned lyrics, and we'd all best be listening. 

Offering one last Stranger Things-themed sentiment, Wolfhard promptly selects the dark and witty  ‘Beat on the Brat’ by The Ramones as his ‘Running Up That Hill’ track.

 Lana Williams

@lanatakesphotos / @_lanaajade