Finn Riggins is the result of a longtime collaboration between Cameron Bouiss, Eric Gilbert and Lisa Simpson. Having met while completing their music degrees at the University of Idaho, the trio began playing music together in 2000, an endeavor that would ultimately culminate in what is now Finn Riggins. In August of 2006, Bouiss, Gilbert and Simpson quit their jobs and moved to Sun Valley, Idaho to stitch together the outlines of Finn Riggins at "the helibase" - a secret practice spot/tour launch pad. Practices yielded shows, shows yielded tours and by the end of their first year as a group, Finn Riggins found themselves a national touring act who lived as much on the road as they did at home.
Finn Riggins has been touring the U.S. relentlessly in support of its debut full length A SOLDIER, A SAINT, AN OCEAN EXPLORER released Nov. 13th 2007 on Tender Loving Empire -- an independent record label, fine art/literature publishing house, fashion collective, art gallery and screen printer based in Portland, OR.
In 2008 alone, Finn Riggins played over 200 shows in 35 different states, including appearances at esteemed festivals like the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City, and Music Fest Northwest in Portland, OR. They've made a name for themselves as road warriors brandishing a fresh take on NW indie rock and helping to further push Idaho on to the national independent music scene.
As the calendar flips to 2009, Finn Riggins is relocating to Boise, ID to begin work on a new record and to further immerse themselves in Idaho's growing music scene.
"Part Sleater-Kinney/Yeah Yeah Yeahs, part second-wave 70s prog-rockers such as Camel or Eloy, Finn Riggins delivered a set that was as much blissful, porntastic keys and polyrhythmic drumming as it was the punkrockers that had so much disdain for such music." -- Jake Tenpas / Corvallis Gazette-Times (Night Rider blog) / Corvallis, OR
"But the best band of the day was Hailey, Idaho-based Finn Riggins, a guitar, synth and drum combo that plays pulsating, anxious post-punk that has an arrestingly ramshackle quality to it. Their sound is simultaneously full and stripped-down: there's very little looping and no reverb; only labyrinthine songwriting and epic, often ecstatically-shouted choruses." -- Armin Rosen / Impose Magazine / CMJ Music Marathon 2008 (NYC)
"Most memorable performance (MFNW 2008 Portland, OR): Finn Riggins. The peak. They shocked and stunned: Truly amazing, like a locomotive storming into a barn. The Idaho band has one limited CD pressed, I recommend you snap it up quick, in years to come this could be the band you wish you were on the front wave of." -- Zaph Mann / blogger NonstarvingArtists.com and others / regarding Music Fest Northwest set in Portland, OR on 9-5-08
"If nothing else, Finn Riggins proves there's a lot more diversity in Idaho than most people recognize. Blending catchy rock riffs with some electronic magic, a few fresh time changes, a little bit of intellect, and a number of genre-defying song structures, there's a reason all the hip kids are going ga-ga for Finn Riggins." -- Matt Driscoll / Weekly Volcano / Olympia, WA
"Truth be told, 'A President, A Pacifist, An Auto Restorer' is a fitting end for Finn Riggins's A SOLDIER, A SAINT, AN OCEAN EXPLORER, as the album is itself a strange amalgam of oddball rhythms, uncommon chord progressions, head-banging pop-rock grit, and intelligent yet accessible songwriting. It's a rare combination that combines the best of both worlds: hearty riffs for the rock set and enough compositional clout to keep the structuralists from grumbling o'ermuch... pop rock with chops..." -- Tom Korp / Beatbots Audio Reviews / Baltimore, MD
"'A Soldier, A Saint, An Ocean Explorer' is both a bright and lively record stocked with odd time changes and dynamic song structures as it stutters along with a swagger, a devil-may-care grin and an affection for the unconventional... (It) is an exhaustive debut that spans multiple genres with ease and rare proficiency." -- Matt Kiser / CMJ / New York, NY
"I think this is a fine example of a couple kids playing really freaking fun music. It's not too cute, it's not too trendy, it's not too anything. It's really solid and entertaining and uniquely it's own." -- Sam Karzin / Music Director, KUCI 88.9 FM / Irvine, CA
"Just imagine starting with a base something akin to the off-kilter indie-slacker-pop tendencies of Pavement and/or Bound Stems but with male/female vocal trade offs and a whole lot of layering to differentiate the band... This is honest and adventurous music that still manages to be fun." -- Can You See The Sunset From The Southside / Chicago, IL
"With every U-turn and digression they emanate a distinct attitude of felicity and fun. They seem to be saying, 'Come and play. Our parents are gone for the weekend and we have the whole house to ourselves." -- The Oregonian / Portland, OR
"Finn Riggins is a cathartic gathering of ramshackle rock—part Pixies chug and part Yeah Yeah Yeah's slinky, sex-churned rock grit." -- Kathy Justice / Independent Weekly / Chapel Hill, NC
