Finn Keane
Finn Keane is a London-based British songwriter, record producer, and artist, best known for his contributions to the PC Music label and his production work on Charli XCX's albums.[1][2] Previously performing under the pseudonym EasyFun (stylized in all caps) for over a decade, Keane debuted with the self-titled easyFun EP as the inaugural release on PC Music in 2013, followed by EPs including Deep Trouble (2015), ELECTRIC, and ACOUSTIC.[2] He transitioned to using his real name in late 2024 following a resolved legal dispute with EasyGroup (the parent company of easyJet) over trademark infringement related to the EasyFun moniker, which he retired to avoid further issues.[1][2] Keane has been a key collaborator with PC Music founder A.G. Cook, co-founding the pop-rock project Thy Slaughter, and has produced tracks for Charli XCX across multiple projects, including Number 1 Angel (2017), Pop 2 (2018), the Speed Drive single for the Barbie soundtrack (2023), and six songs on her 2024 album Brat: "360," "Sympathy Is a Knife," "Von Dutch," "So I," "I Think About It All the Time," and "365."[1][2] He also co-produced the remix of "Sympathy Is a Knife" featuring Ariana Grande, describing the collaboration as "unreal."[1] In October 2024, Keane announced The Finn Keane Album, a 17-track compilation released on November 1 via PC Music, featuring reimagined versions of his EasyFun-era material alongside new tracks like the single "Laplander (Finn Keane Remix)."[2] This rebrand marked a creative reinvention, allowing him to revisit and expand upon his catalog under his birth name.[2] In 2025, Keane received Grammy Awards for his production work on Charli XCX's "Von Dutch" (Best Dance Pop Recording) and Brat (Best Dance/Electronic Album) at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.[3] He toured the US as a DJ with Charli XCX, performed at events including Boiler Room NYC, and co-wrote and co-produced the single "House" with Charli XCX and John Cale, released on November 12.[4][5]Career
2013–2015: Beginnings with PC Music and debut releases
In 2013, British producer Finn Keane became one of the original members of the PC Music collective, founded by A.G. Cook in London with an initial roster that included Keane under his alias easyFun (later stylized as EASYFUN), alongside Hannah Diamond, Danny L Harle, and GFOTY.[6] This marked Keane's entry into the music industry, where he contributed to the label's experimental ethos from its inception as a platform for like-minded producers exploring ironic, maximalist pop aesthetics.[6] Keane's debut release came on June 25, 2013, with the self-titled easyFun EP, the inaugural output from PC Music (catalog number PC-R1).[7] The five-track digital EP, clocking in at approximately 12 minutes, featured songs such as "Sondico," "Easy Money," and "Infinity Glisten," drawing on bubblegum bass influences with sugary synths, playful samples, and glitchy electronic textures.[7] "Sondico," in particular, originated as a 2012 personal project by Keane, inspired by artists like Scritti Politti, Rustie, and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, before being finalized with Cook's input to launch the label.[6] These tracks exemplified Keane's initial production experiments, blending wonky electronic rhythms, proto-hyperpop melodies, and distorted pop elements to create a disorienting yet euphoric sound.[8] During this period, Keane engaged in early live performances and DJ sets within London's underground music scenes, supporting PC Music's grassroots events and fostering the label's cult following among club-goers and electronic music enthusiasts.[6] By 2015, these activities expanded internationally, as seen in his set at the PC Music showcase during SXSW in Austin, where he delivered high-energy mixes of pounding house beats, shimmering synths, and sweet vocal samples amid trippy visuals of airplanes and tropical islands.[9] This phase solidified Keane's role in shaping PC Music's vibrant, scene-defining presence through hands-on involvement in both production and performance.[6]2016–2023: Songwriting, production work, and Thy Slaughter
During this period, Finn Keane transitioned from his early solo releases under the EasyFun moniker to establishing himself as a sought-after songwriter and producer within the PC Music collective and beyond. Building on his foundational involvement with the label, Keane contributed to several projects that highlighted his production skills, focusing on hyperpop and electronic textures. His work emphasized collaborative songwriting, often blending glossy synths with emotional lyricism, which became a hallmark of his contributions to major artists' catalogs.[10] In 2014, Keane formed the experimental duo Thy Slaughter alongside PC Music founder A.G. Cook, marking an early foray into joint production under the label. Their debut single, "Bronze," appeared on the 2014 compilation PC Music Volume 1, showcasing a playful, bass-heavy electronic sound that aligned with the label's ironic futurism. The project remained dormant for nearly a decade, with no further releases until a surprise resurgence in 2023, when Thy Slaughter issued the singles "Sentence / If I Knew" and "Lost Everything / Reign." These tracks, featuring contributions from artists like Charli XCX and Caroline Polachek, preceded the duo's full-length debut album, Soft Rock, released on December 1, 2023, via PC Music. The album explored medieval-inspired themes with orchestral elements and guest vocals, receiving praise for its ambitious blend of indietronica and bubblegum bass.[11][12] Keane's first major songwriting credits emerged around 2016, with significant contributions to Charli XCX's mixtape Number 1 Angel in 2017. He co-wrote and co-produced tracks such as "3AM (Pull Up)" featuring MØ, "Emotional," and "Backseat" featuring Carly Rae Jepsen, infusing the project with shimmering synth-pop arrangements that amplified XCX's confessional style. These collaborations solidified his role in mainstream pop production, earning industry recognition for their innovative electronic flourishes. Further credits followed, including co-writing Rita Ora's 2018 single "Let You Love Me," which peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart and garnered over 500 million streams.[13] Within the PC Music roster, Keane handled production duties for label affiliates, notably co-producing Hannah Diamond's "Fade Away" from the 2016 compilation PC Music Volume 2, a wistful electropop track that exemplified the label's glossy, nostalgic aesthetic. He also contributed to GFOTY's output, including production on tracks like "Poison" from the same compilation, emphasizing exaggerated vocal effects and upbeat rhythms. These efforts helped shape the hyperpop sound for emerging PC Music talents.[14] By the late 2010s, Keane expanded into broader electronic and indie scenes, providing remixes and productions for acts outside the PC Music bubble. Notable examples include his production on Lewis Blissett's 2019 debut single "Sick Thoughts" under Asylum Records, which blended indie electronica with introspective lyrics, and remixes for artists like Hyd on tracks from her 2022 releases. This diversification showcased Keane's versatility, bridging hyperpop's eccentricity with more conventional indie structures while maintaining his signature polished production.[15]2024: Trademark lawsuit, rebranding to Finn Keane, and debut compilation album
In November 2023, easyGroup, the parent company of brands including easyJet, initiated a legal claim against Finn Keane, accusing him of trademark infringement and deliberate misappropriation of the "easy" branding through his artist alias Easyfun.[16] The formal lawsuit was filed in December 2023 in the High Court of Justice in London, targeting Keane and PC Music for allegedly damaging the company's reputation by mimicking its distinctive lowercase branding and color scheme in Easyfun's visual identity and releases.[17] easyGroup described Keane as a "brand thief" and sought an injunction, damages, and the destruction of infringing materials, claiming the alias confused consumers and unfairly benefited from the established "easy" trademarks.[18] The dispute escalated through 2024 but was resolved amicably in October, with Keane agreeing to retire the Easyfun pseudonym to avoid further litigation.[1] On October 17, 2024, Keane announced the official end of the Easyfun era at midnight, marking a transition to performing and releasing music under his real name, Finn Keane, as a direct outcome of the settlement.[19] This rebranding represented a pivotal shift, allowing Keane to consolidate his catalog without legal encumbrances while preserving his creative legacy from the PC Music imprint. Coinciding with the rebranding, Keane announced The Finn Keane Album on October 24, 2024, via social media, positioning it as a comprehensive archive of his work.[20] The compilation was released on November 1, 2024, through PC Music, structured as a four-sided vinyl edition labeled E, Z, F, and K, featuring his 2015 debut EP Deep Trouble in full, alongside remastered fan-favorite tracks, new recordings, and previously unreleased early demos hidden as secret tracks.[21] Notable inclusions encompass early singles like "Shrek 5" and "Easy Money" from his initial Easyfun releases, with the secret demos revealing Keane's foundational experiments, including his very first production as Easyfun.[22] The album serves as Keane's debut major compilation under his birth name, encapsulating over a decade of output without new original material beyond the archival selections. Promotion emphasized physical formats and digital accessibility, with a limited-edition splatter vinyl variant pressed to 700 copies, featuring white with blue, green, and orange accents, available exclusively through the PC Music market.[23] Keane and PC Music rolled out the release via Instagram teasers and a dedicated Bandcamp page, highlighting the project's role in archiving his evolution from hyperpop anonymity to personal artistic identity, while a CD edition ensured broader distribution.[24] The rollout garnered immediate attention from fans, underscoring the lawsuit's resolution as a catalyst for this reflective milestone.2025–present: Grammy success, live performances, and new collaborations
In February 2025, Finn Keane achieved significant recognition at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, held on February 2 in Los Angeles, where he accepted the award for Best Dance Pop Recording on behalf of Charli XCX for their collaboration "Von Dutch" from her album Brat. Keane, who co-produced and co-wrote the track, highlighted the song's innovative blend of hyperpop and club elements in his acceptance speech, crediting XCX's vision as pivotal to its success. Additionally, Brat received a nomination for Album of the Year, underscoring Keane's contributions to the album's production and songwriting, though it ultimately won in the Best Dance/Electronic Album category. Following the Grammys, Keane expanded his live presence by announcing in March 2025 that he would serve as the opening act for the North American leg of Charli XCX's Brat Arena Tour, commencing on April 22 in Austin, Texas, at the Moody Center. The tour featured Keane performing selections from his catalog alongside DJ sets, drawing enthusiastic crowds at venues like Barclays Center in Brooklyn and Allstate Arena in Rosemont. [25] His sets emphasized high-energy remixes and tracks from The Finn Keane Album, marking a shift toward more prominent stage appearances post-rebranding. Keane's momentum continued into late 2025 with new collaborative projects, including co-writing and producing "House," a track with Charli XCX featuring John Cale for the soundtrack of Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights adaptation, released on November 10. [26] The song, characterized by its brooding industrial beats and distorted vocals, represented a gothic evolution in Keane's production style. [27] In October, Keane confirmed his involvement in early sessions for XCX's seventh studio album, tentatively titled #XCX7, aiming for a "really different and fresh" sound distinct from Brat. [28] These developments were discussed in interviews at the BMI London Awards in September, where Keane reflected on Brat's cultural impact, and at the Ivors Academy Awards in May, emphasizing the album's precise creative process. [28] [29]Musical style and influences
PC Music and hyperpop foundations
Finn Keane's early work was deeply embedded in the PC Music collective, a London-based label and art project founded by A.G. Cook in 2013 that championed an ironic, maximalist approach to electronic music. This aesthetic deconstructed mainstream pop tropes through exaggerated, glossy production, blending bubblegum bass's sugary synth melodies with wonky's glitchy, off-kilter rhythms to create a sound that satirized consumer culture and digital excess. Keane, performing as EASYFUN, contributed to this ethos from the outset, helping define PC Music's playful yet subversive take on club music that prioritized emotional intensity over conventional structure.[30] Keane's self-titled debut EP, released in June 2013 as PC Music's inaugural offering (cataloged as pc-r1), exemplified these foundations with tracks like "Easy Money" and "Shrek 5," featuring high-energy, rubbery synth lines and pitch-shifted vocals that evoked internet-age satire through their hyperactive, meme-like brevity. The EP's disorienting beats and ecstatic drops drew from the 2010s UK club scenes, incorporating elements of footwork and experimental bass music while echoing the futuristic maximalism of peers like A.G. Cook and SOPHIE, whose productions similarly warped pop into something alien and euphoric. This release set a template for PC Music's output, emphasizing amateurish glee alongside professional polish to challenge pop's boundaries.[31][1] Through his involvement in PC Music's early compilations and collaborations, such as the 2014 single "Bronze" with Cook under the duo Thy Slaughter, Keane helped propel the label's influence on hyperpop's emergence as a genre. Hyperpop, crystallized around PC Music's sound, amplified these traits—vibrant, distorted electronics and vocal manipulations that critiqued online virality and consumerism—paving the way for broader pop experimentation in the mid-2010s. Keane's contributions underscored the label's role in fostering a community that blurred irony and sincerity, impacting subsequent artists by normalizing exaggerated digital aesthetics in electronic music.[32][31]Evolution toward avant-pop and broader production
Keane's stylistic maturation became evident in his work with the duo Thy Slaughter, where he collaborated with A.G. Cook to fuse pop-rock elements with electronic production, departing from the label's earlier hyperpop aesthetic. This shift was showcased in the 2023 album Soft Rock, which incorporated guitar-driven textures and medieval-inspired motifs alongside synthetic beats, creating a more grounded yet experimental sound.[1][11] His contributions to Charli XCX's 2024 album Brat further advanced this evolution, emphasizing future-facing pop through precise, laser-focused synth arrangements that prioritized clarity and immediacy. Keane co-produced tracks like "Von Dutch," blending underground dance influences with emotional introspection to explore themes of anxiety and confidence, resulting in a gritty yet hook-driven sound that redefined contemporary pop. He had previously co-produced the 2023 single "Speed Drive" for the Barbie soundtrack, which similarly merged dance elements with pop accessibility.[33][1] Keane's production on Charli XCX's seventh album, the Wuthering Heights soundtrack (announced November 18, 2025, for release February 13, 2026), builds on these developments with broader rock influences, including nods to Lou Reed's raw, guitar-centric style via collaborator John Cale's Velvet Underground connections. This experimental direction is apparent in the lead single "House" (released November 10, 2025), co-written and produced by Keane for Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights film adaptation, where eerie, goth-infused electronics evoke narrative tension alongside Cale's contributions, signaling a pivot toward more organic instrumentation in an avant-pop framework.[34][35][36] Parallel to his music releases, Keane's technical growth extended to narrative media, where he applied hyperpop-derived techniques to immersive audio. For the 2022 voice-controlled game Unknown Number, he handled sound design to enhance its thriller elements and climate-themed storytelling, adapting synthetic layers for interactive environments. Similarly, in 2024, Keane co-composed the original score for the BBC series Ludwig with Nathan Klein, integrating fragmented classical motifs with modern electronic textures to underscore its cryptic comedy-drama narrative.[37][38]Discography
Albums and compilations
Finn Keane has not released any prior studio albums as a lead artist. His debut full-length project, The Finn Keane Album, emerged in 2024 as a compilation under the PC Music label, serving as a career retrospective that bridges his earlier work under the Easyfun moniker from 2013 to 2020.[21][24] The album compiles tracks from Keane's foundational releases, including his 2013 debut EP and the 2015 Deep Trouble EP, alongside selected songs and remixes such as "Shrek 5," "Easy Money," "Sondico," "Multislice," "Infinity Glisten," "Laplander," "Fanta," and "Full Circle."[22][23] It is structured across four sides labeled E, Z, F, and K, with additional untitled secret tracks enhancing its archival feel.[39] Formats include digital download, a limited-edition splatter vinyl pressing of 700 copies, and a CD edition limited to 400 copies, the latter first available at PC Music's Pop Crypt II Day Market on October 31, 2024.[21][40][39] Critically, the compilation has been hailed as an essential document of Keane's contributions to electronic music, showcasing his brash sound design influenced by artists like Rustie, with chaotic yet catchy wonky compositions that revel in kitsch and humor.[24][41] It marks a pivotal rebranding moment, encapsulating the evolution of his production style within the PC Music ecosystem before his shift toward broader collaborations.[24]EPs
Finn Keane, under his early moniker Easyfun, released his debut extended play in 2013 through PC Music, marking the label's inaugural release. Titled simply easyFun EP, it featured five tracks: "Shrek 5," "Easy Money," "Sondico," "Multislice," and "Infinity Glisten." These songs exemplified the nascent hyperpop aesthetic of PC Music, blending bubbly synths, ironic lyrics, and lo-fi electronic elements to explore themes of youthful excess and digital escapism. The EP's raw production and playful absurdity set a foundational tone for the label's experimental output, quickly gaining cult attention within underground electronic scenes.[7] In 2015, Keane followed with Deep Trouble, another PC Music EP that signaled a maturation in his sound. Comprising the tracks "Laplander," "Fanta," and "Full Circle," the release shifted toward more polished electronic pop structures, incorporating cleaner vocals, intricate layering, and subtle influences from trance and house. This evolution reflected Keane's growing production finesse while retaining PC Music's signature gloss and emotional ambiguity, focusing on introspective narratives of desire and detachment. Critics noted its refined accessibility compared to the debut's chaotic energy, helping to broaden the label's appeal.[42] In 2023, Keane released ELECTRIC on August 11 via PC Music, his first EP in eight years under the easyFun moniker. The six-track EP, featuring "Audio," "HARDPAIN," "No Body," "carelesscarelesscarelesscarelesscareless," "Be Your USA" (feat. Iiris), and "Know Who You Are," drew on 2010s EDM influences with hyperpop energy, blending earnest euphoria and experimental production. It was praised for revitalizing his solo work ahead of the rebrand.[43][44] Later that year, on October 13, 2023, Keane released ACOUSTIC, a companion EP exploring acoustic-leaning experimental pop. The six tracks—"Audio (All I Ever Got)," "IDK," "They're So Smart," "Long Long Time," "Damaged III," and "Running Out"—highlighted stripped-back arrangements and introspective themes, contrasting the electronic focus of prior releases while maintaining PC Music's innovative edge.[45][46] Tracks from both early EPs were later remastered and included in his 2024 debut compilation album, The Finn Keane Album, which recontextualized them within his post-rebranding discography.[21]Singles as lead artist
Finn Keane, formerly known as easyFun, has released several standalone singles as a lead artist, primarily through PC Music, often in collaboration as part of the duo Thy Slaughter with A.G. Cook. These releases span his early experimental bubblegum bass work to more recent alt-pop explorations, with credits reflecting his evolving aliases.[47]| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | "Bronze" | As Thy Slaughter with A.G. Cook; debut single on PC Music, featured on PC Music Volume 1 compilation.[48][49] |
| 2015 | "Deep Trouble" | As easyFun; three-track single/EP on PC Music, showcasing wonky electropop elements.[50][51] |
| 2018 | "Be Your USA" (feat. Iiris) | As easyFun; digital single on PC Music, marking a shift toward collaborative pop structures.[52][53] |
| 2022 | "Audio" | As easyFun; digital single on PC Music, previewing the ELECTRIC EP with hyperpop production.[54][55] |
| 2023 | "Sentence / If I Knew" | As Thy Slaughter with A.G. Cook; double A-side single on PC Music, previewing the Soft Rock album.[56][57] |
| 2023 | "Lost Everything / Reign" | As Thy Slaughter with A.G. Cook; double A-side single on PC Music, co-written with SOPHIE on "Lost Everything" featuring Ellie Rowsell.[58][59][60] |
| 2024 | "Laplander (Finn Keane Remix)" | As Finn Keane; digital single on PC Music, remix of 2015 track, featured on The Finn Keane Album.[61] |