Get To Know... Keo • Neu • DIY Magazine

Hello and welcome back to DIY’s introducing feature, Get To Know… which aims to get you a little bit closer to the buzziest acts that have been catching our eye as of late, and working out what makes them tick.

Since sharing debut single ‘I Lied, Amber’ back in March, things have sped up fairly rapidly for London quartet Keo. Years spent gigging on the capital’s grassroots circuit has snowballed into sold-out tours, hundreds of thousands of streams, and lineup spots at festivals from The Great Escape to Green Man. At the centre of it all is frontman and vocalist Finn Keogh; much like the sometime-snarl of Wunderhorse’s Jacob Slater, there’s a world-weary grit to his voice that belies his 21 years, and which renders the band’s recent debut EP, ‘Siren’, an instantly compelling project.

Now a few weeks on from ‘Siren”s release, we caught up with Finn to talk about his busking days, bad habits, Bob Dylan, and more…

What’s your earliest musical memory?
When I was around the age of seven, I used to go down to an Irish pub in Devon to see my dad play Irish trad music, and the memory that stuck with me was going up to sit on his lap and sing ‘Dirty Old Town’ by Ewan MacColl.

What’s the story behind your first instrument?
Although there were guitars, banjos and mandolins lying around the house that my dad owned, the first instrument I bought was in Totnes. I spent an hour busking with my dad’s guitar and by the end I had about £80, and so I bought a charity shop nylon string guitar. God knows where it is now.

You’ve just released your debut EP, and have already sold-out your Autumn UK headline tour - congrats! But this hasn’t happened overnight; can you tell us a bit more about the road to releasing ‘Siren’?
Ultimately, I’ve spent my whole life working towards our first release. But I think the most hectic years of that were spent in London from the age of 17 to 21; we played every venue under the sun and took any gig we got offered for those four years - many empty rooms, many mistakes, and many dodgy promoters. I can’t explain how it turned into what you see now, but I’ve always had an idea of what Keo is in my head, and I suppose it’s just been a matter of walking towards that.

“I’ve always had an idea of what Keo is in my head, and I suppose it’s just been a matter of walking towards that.”

— Finn Keogh

‘Siren’ explores ideas of identity, which are particularly prescient when you’re coming of age as a young adult. Would you say the process of writing and recording the project informed or affected your personal growth? If so, how?
We all have our fair share of faults and I’m not sure if writing about mine has gotten rid of any. But I’ve found that writing can help [me] understand them, and being self-aware can only serve to improve [yourself]. For me, writing is therapeutic - but with that being said, I don’t know why I do it; I just have to.

What’s your worst musical habit?
I’ve always liked playing in alternative guitar tunings, especially when I discover a new one. But this kinda backfires live, because I always find myself bringing more guitars to every gig, so I guess writing songs in new tunings could be my worst musical habit.

You’re stranded on a desert island, and you can only take one album, one book, and one film with you. What are you picking?
For me, Bob Dylan never ages - you could spend years diving into his lyrics and come out with a different picture every time. So for the album, I’d say ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’’. My book would probably be Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. I’ve never really managed to get the whole way through, but not out of boredom; it’s just that his depth of description is infinite - every line is like a song. And then it’s maybe a guilty pleasure, but I love the original Point Break.

Finally, DIY are coming round for dinner - what are you making?
I’d probably throw the job to our bassist, Conor, as he’s a great chef.

‘Siren’ is out now via AWAL.

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