ISU Bengal

Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: Life

Media Credit: Samantha Evans Lamoni Finlayson and Paul Christensen of From A Whim performed at ISU on Thursday, September 6.

Thursday night's Party at the Pond at the Pond Student Union Building welcomed a young southeastern Idaho band; From a Whim. The band showcased their young fresh talent with both music from the current pop charts as well as their own personally created lyrics and rhythm. The bands lead singer, Lamoni Finlayson, age 17, showcased his tenor vocal range and acoustic guitar abilities with his co-musician and back up singer, 20 year-old Paul Christiansen. Over 50 ISU students turned out to this intimate venue to experience the hip hop and indie rock performance.
The two band members met a year ago through family; Finlayson is from Soda Springs and Christiansen is from Bear Lake. The two practice once a week on the weekends and mutually work together on creation of new material. Although Finlayson has performed before in several venues, it was Christiansen who was elated to experience his first performance in the Gate City.
A couple years ago Finlayson picked up the guitar "on a whim" (hence the band's name), and quickly learned to love the strumming of his fingers on guitar strings. He has been greatly influenced by his parents who are native born New Zealanders and whose music preferences leans toward hip hop and R&B, a popular music style in the country. Christiansen has been playing the guitar for seven years and has a talent to listen and play without ever reading music or being shown the chords. Both musicians enjoy writing music but find they write better when together, each bringing different abilities and complexities to lyrics as well as fluidic rhythm to the acoustical accompiant.
Finlayson's newest and most popular single "Memories and Meltdowns" was written with a girl in mind, "like always" he laughed. Finlayson records all his music alone but plays all his live shows with Christiansen. Finlayson's passion for music has gone one step further with him recently buying recording software so he can produce at his home and post on the web.
Although he is working on building a solid MySpace music fan club, Finlayson plans on attending college next year in computer information systems. Christiansen has been attending BYU Idaho to become a band teacher.
Finlayson is currently influenced by Taking Back Sunday; Boys Like Girls; Jack Johnson; The Scene Aesthetic; Secondhand Serenade; Blink 182; Death Cab for Cutie; and Boys to Men. Christiansen listens to all types of music but is mostly drawn to indie rock and "just straight up rock". Right now, however, Christiansen is listening to Jimmy Eat World as well as The Starting Line. The two are currently forming a full band with other musicians in the Bear Lake area.
To see From a Whim's cover art and original recordings go to www.myspace.com/fromawhim.

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