OAKLAND, Calif. -- Yes, there is a Higher Power. God, Allah, whatever you like to call him or her. How do I know? I'll explain as I bring you up to speed on how this fun little "chat" with the iconic writer of such classics as "Don't Dream It's Over," "Something So Strong" and "Better Be Home Soon" came about.

I had been trying for about a month to get an interview set up with Neil, hoping to write a piece prior to Crowded House's May 14 and 15 performances at the Fillmore in San Francisco. But the window of opportunity to plug those gigs came and went. I figured I wasn't going to get an interview at all.

Then I thought of YOU. Yes, YOU, the adoring "Crowdies" (Crowded House fans for the great unwashed). I knew you wouldn't care when you got a new interview with Neil; I just knew you'd want one -- an exclusive one, just for you, the Bay Area fan, one that lets you know how special you are. Motivated by new purpose, I pressed on. After the previously mentioned month plus a couple more weeks of e-mails and phone calls, a date and time was set, with one condition: I'd have to call Neil in New Zealand. "No problem," I said. How hard could it be to call internationally? It's not, I learned -- as long as you have all of the digits in the phone number -- in the correct order.

That's right. After attempting multiple times to dial a number shy of one digit, and not knowing any better, an international operator kindly informed me of my problem. I was missing a number in the sequence of numbers I needed to make the call and desperation was mounting. Not having anyone to call (Neil's PR firm was in New York City and it was well past 7:30 p.m. by the time I was scheduled to call him), all I could do was turn to one last option: Divine Intervention. So I did. And I am not sure if I've ever prayed more earnestly in my life. The man who had written so many hit songs and toured the world many times over with two highly influential bands was waiting on the other side of the world for my call. Only... well... you know. I couldn't call. My despair grew to gargantuan proportions.

After one seriously focused prayer and only two tries adding randomly chosen digits -- yes, TWO attempts -- I had the missing number! Somehow (this is where my prayer and the "Divine Intervention" came into play, I believe) I had hit upon the correct missing number without knowing it. Somewhere in New Zealand, for the first time since my attempts to call Neil began, a phone began to ring.

"Roundhead Studios," a polite woman answered.

And with that, my adventure to wrangle a chat with Neil Finn began to come full circle.

Neil picked up the phone and said my name, and I felt like I had climbed Mount Everest. After explaining to him the whole missing number debacle and apologizing profusely for being late for the interview, one of the nicest guys with whom I have ever spoken shared with me many thoughts about song writing, the future of Crowded House, how important Bay Area fans are to him and how we sing like angels -- among other things. Our conversation went a little something like this:

KTVU.com: Before we talk about the current incarnation of Crowded House and the great shows you guys did recently at The Fillmore here in San Francisco, I wanted to ask a couple of questions about your first solo effort, Try Whistling This.

Neil Finn: Sure.

KTVU.com: The first one's a little odd, but I want to ask it to get it out of the way so bear with me. "She Will Have Her Way" is one of the most beautiful songs I think I have ever heard. But it's not played in a standard tuning -- would you talk about that a bit?

Neil Finn: Well, I think on the record it's tuned down to "D Flat," but I got accustomed to doing it live in "D" because it's an easier transition. The whole guitar is just tuned to a D chord. I think it's probably just D-A-D-F Sharp-A- then I left the top note on E. So it's basically an "Open D" tuning.

KTVU.com: And my second question about that song -- which isn't quite so odd - is where did the fantastic idea for that video come from?

Neil Finn: I think it was probably Jeff Ayeroff -- who was the co-head of Work Group Records -- which that record came out on at the time and he's someone I've known since my A&M days. He has a very clever art direction and marketing background. He was very good friends with Valerie Farris and Jonathan Dayton who directed the video and went on to do the movie "Little Miss Sunshine." And I think it was Jeff's idea initially to reference the film "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman." I think that was the specific movie. And it was homage to that. And Jonathan and Valerie just pulled it off brilliantly; I was very happy with the way that one came out.

KTVU.com: Yeah, great video, I saw ages ago on MTV2 or something and then bought it off iTunes as soon as it became available.

Neil Finn: Well, I suppose it probably is available illegally, so...

KTVU.com: Well, yeah, I'm sure it is but I'd rather get a known, high-quality product and make sure people like you get paid.

Neil Finn: Oh, good on you.

KTVU.com: I have another question about Try Whistling This but I wanted to make sure you were comfortable with talking about Paul Hester first -- is it alright if I ask a few questions about him?

Neil Finn: Just shoot and I'll tell you if it's alright -- it depends on what you ask me.

KTVU.com: Fair enough. I have heard what I think is the short answer to this question but I was hoping you would elaborate on a line from the song "Try Whistling This" that you said was inspired by an incident that occurred between you and Paul. The line in the song goes: "He said come here/As he pushed me down/Impossible to do..." Can you tell the story that inspired those words?

Neil Finn: Yep. We were playing Milan and for some reason -- we only played there twice, both times we played there Paul and I had massive arguments that eventually came to blows. Well, not completely. That particular incident we just came off-stage after having quite an altercation on-stage. Never happened any other time. And I think I had smashed my guitar over his snare drum or something and as we came off we were both fuming and I went and got dressed and went to leave the dressing room which had these little fly screen kind of things on them. Waiting outside the door were all these fans who had waited for us to come to Italy for five or six years and were really excited about meeting us. Anyway, as I left the room, Paul Hester pushed me through the fly screens in anger and I ended up on the floor and as he pushed me he said "Come here!" Which, as the song says, is impossible to do. (Laughs).

KTVU.com: Right...but that's a darkly beautiful line to come from such an odd place.

Neil Finn: Yeah, well, that's what normally happens. Things come out in random order and different contexts and they don't mean necessarily what they originally meant but they all seem to have resonance because they come from something real.

KTVU.com: I don't mean to skip ahead to a new topic just yet but since you mentioned it, let's talk about your songwriting process. Is that example with Paul typical of how you write? I mean, do your lyrics come from things that happen to you or is it more of an unstructured process?

Neil Finn: It's kind of hard to say in many ways because it's kind of hard to capture lyrics and thoughts and good thoughts, and they just come out in random ways. I kind of rely on a few lines coming out of my subconscious at the beginning of the process married to a melody or rhythm or whatever and sometimes in the really fortunate circumstances the whole song will appear and I'll just write stuff down as it's pouring out of my mouth and it sounds good. I'll listen back to a tape I'm making of, you know, jamming kind of moments and I'm singing words I'm not even really aware of. And when you listen to them they become lines. I really have to trust that process even though it's pretty random.

And then you kind of look at them and figure out where they're coming from, what the atmosphere suggests where the time and place might be. You might be singing it and try and kind of fashion it so that it stays in the same context, really. I'm not too worried about literal narratives at all, more about evoking a sense of time and place and some sort of emotional triggers in the soul. But then every time I don't do it for a while it's a mystery again. Sometimes the subconscious deals up great lines and sometimes it's rubbish, so you just have to have a good editing process.

KTVU.com: Last question about Paul Hester, I promise, but I have to ask you about what may have been a terribly embarrassing moment he sort of smacked you with during the Farewell To The World show. Paul asked you about spreading a little "male reproductive fluid" around Sydney from time to time and your pretty quick response was "My family are here, Paul." Were you mortified or was that typical, to be expected Paul Hester behavior?

Neil Finn: Oh, you know, he took great delight in pushing the envelope on numerous occasions and normally I reveled in those moments but when your family are there, it is a little bit...you know. There was a famous occasion in Dublin, Ireland, where my mom and dad were there, they were visiting Ireland at the time and mom had just connected with a distant cousin who was a Jesuit priest. Just met him for the first time. And he came along to the show with mom and dad and was sitting up there in the main seats in the front row of the balcony and Paul decided to tell the Aussie bloke, Aussie Sheila joke which goes like this -- "Sheila" being an Australian name for "girl."

KTVU.com: Right.

Neil Finn: The Aussie bloke comes up to the Aussie Sheila and says "G'day, Sheila, you wanna (uses slang word for sexual intercourse)?" And the Aussie Sheila says, "I do now you smooth talking bastard!"

KTVU.com: (Laughter).

Neil Finn: And Paul decided to tell that joke on-stage...

KTVU.com: (MORE laughter).

Neil Finn: ...And I just about died.

KTVU.com: (Still laughing) Oh, man, I imagine you did!

Neil Finn: Yeah.

KTVU.com: Okay, moving forward -- I was at the first of the two nights Crowded House played the Fillmore in San Francisco, and the first question I have is about a man named "Scott." Who is this "Scott," exactly? (Interviewer's note: If you were at the Fillmore shows, you know what I mean. If not, let's just say Scott knows how to make himself heard).

Neil Finn: (Chuckles, knowingly) Well, Scott's just a guy whose been coming to the shows for a while now. He's a "lifesaver" from Redondo Beach, and he's just a bigger than life, larger than life personality. He's actually a pretty nice, regular guy, has a good job and he's a nut for Crowded House and he's got the loudest voice - and he's intent on making his voice heard.

KTVU.com: Well, I was thinking that in a lot of situations a person like that could be a tremendous thorn in one's side, but Scott didn't detract from the evening at all. I don't know if that's something you like to hearing or not...

Neil Finn: No, he's very positive...

KTVU.com: He seemed like he sort of fit the role of "Fifth Beatle" that night. I got a pretty big kick out of him.

Neil Finn: Well, he's a likeable character. And especially these days, there's this feeling of community in the room [at Crowded House shows]. People have been coming for a long time, people that are connected quite deeply to the whole thing. And there's good humor in it.

KTVU.com: He seems like a nice guy, and he was absolutely hilarious. I thought he added good things to the festivities, so good for him.

Neil Finn: Yeah, it was a good show that first, San Francisco show. Some of the singing was some of the best on the tour, I thought. The audience singing.

KTVU.com: It's funny that you bring that up because I had this in my questions. When you played Oakland last year in August, I noticed the audience singing that night was exceptional, it almost sounded rehearsed. And so in response to what you just said I'm thinking it must be a Bay Area thing because I'm from North Carolina and audience singing just doesn't sound that good outside the Bay Area. Do you find that to be the case as well?

Neil Finn: Well, I don't know. I must say that it is becoming a feature more and more as the years go on at our shows that the audience, when invited are generally really, really tuneful, sing in really nice harmony and it's a big part of the experience for them and certainly now for us. But I must say that in San Francisco for some reason its been that way for quite some time and I think the level of tunefulness and harmony making is actually beyond anything anywhere else in the country. And I'm not just saying that because you happen to be there.

KTVU.com: (Laughing) Well I could be the one horribly out of tune singer in the crowd since I'm not from here!

Neil Finn: Well, the singing was phenomenal in both cases, actually in Oakland and also at The Fillmore.

KTVU.com: Absolutely. Well, tell me, what's next for Neil Finn, solo artist and what's next for Crowded House?

Neil Finn: Well, we're working towards making a record, it's kind of been the first time we've ever had the luxury of trying new songs on tour. We probably could've always done it and we've always talked about it but this time we actually have. So they're works in progress and some of them are changing, even as we speak. But we're working at trying to find our natural place and it seems really important that the record that we make now is a big step forward from the last one and we're giving it its due, you know? And beyond that I've got two or three other projects lurking as well, so I'm looking forward to, actually, quite a lot of recording in the next twelve months I think. Bang out more than one record.

KTVU.com: Do you have a release date for the new record or a general idea for one?

Neil Finn: Not really but there'll be a record out at some point early next year at the latest I'd say.

KTVU.com: Is there another "solo" Neil Finn project in the works?

Neil Finn: Yeah, I would say there's a fairly likely scenario where I'll make something that resembles a solo record after this Crowded House record, yeah. But it may not be "solo" exactly, but it'll be more off to the side, you know?

KTVU.com: Since we are talking a bit about playing new material, most bands that are playing new material live sort of experience a bit of a lull in the show's energy -- people typically will use that time to grab another drink or run to the restroom -- but I didn't get that feeling at The Fillmore show at all.

Neil Finn: No, I didn't either.

KTVU.com: And even for Time On Earth - I'm not exactly sure what the time frame was between that record's release and when you played Oakland, but I mistook some of the new songs for tried and true Crowded House songs. And I went home thinking I knew some of those songs only to find I'd not heard them yet.

Neil Finn: Well, good!

KTVU.com: And I realize the Fillmore shows were a second swing through on the same tour, but the new, unreleased stuff was equally as compelling as some of the older, well-known tracks.

Neil Finn: Yeah, I got that feeling on the tour, too. One of the nice things about the stage we're at is every band or every musician is always looking at what they're achieving like most people, in terms of where you're at in the charts or who's buying your record at any given moment but what's nice about the point that I'm at and we're at now is that I realize more and more there is a continuum there and that the people that come along are not the same audience that comes along when you've got a record in the charts or where 80 percent of your audience is there for the hits and out of curiosity. And if you play, as you said, if you play a new song or you play something obscure, interest drops off straightaway. I sort of feel like the audience we've got now are equally as interested in obscurities as they are in the hits. Mostly.

KTVU.com: Yeah, I would agree.

Neil Finn: And so that's a great feeling, it's a real mandate to go explore the fringes and people like it. So, we all feel very blessed, it's great.

KTVU.com: Tell me how you guys keep the older songs fresh -- I think it was in Oakland where Mark Hart played the famous Hammond B3 solo in "Don't Dream It's Over" on a melodica. Is it that sort of thing that makes things feel a bit different for you playing those tunes you have to play night after night?

Neil Finn: Yeah, it was Oakland I think he might've.

KTVU.com: Yep, it was, I have an officially sanctioned recording from that night in Oakland that I bought online from Kufala Records or something like that -- is that right?

Neil Finn: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

KTVU.com: In any case, is that how you typically keep older songs somewhat fresh?

Neil Finn: The other night we had Don McGlashan who was opening up for us double that line on a euphonium which makes a really nice sound.

KTVU.com: Oh, yeah, that was brilliant, he was very good, I would have loved to have heard him play a bit longer than he did.

Neil Finn: I think we were under some sort of a curfew of some description so...but yeah, I would agree. But to answer your question, yeah, it's nice to redefine things a little, but some people have different views on that, some people want to hear it the way it was on the record but I think we're true to the spirit of the record but it's nice to keep it fresh and redefine songs. It makes it less rote, less like just going through the motions for us. And I think that ultimately breathes new life into the song.

KTVU.com: Another songwriting related question I had was what led to you writing "Silent House" with The Dixie Chicks?

Neil Finn: Just a request came through to see if I was interested in writing with the Dixie Chicks and I thought it was so out of left field I was interested by it. And I had breakfast with Natalie Maines and I just enjoyed talking with her about it and it seemed like a good thing. So we sat down for two or three days, yeah. And I get a variety of different requests and stuff come through but I'm more intrigued by the ones that don't seem to be very obvious. Even though the Dixie Chicks is not even music I'm particularly familiar with, but it was coming from a different place than I would have imagined. And I'd seen them perform on TV at some benefit and had just been really impressed by what great performers they are.

KTVU.com: Okay, this might seem like a question out of left field but since we are talking about writing, I wondered if you are a big reader -- and if so, do you think that it makes you a better songwriter?

Neil Finn: I'm not as big a reader as I'd like to be. I go through phases where I read a bit for a while and then I don't read at all for a while but I have been a big reader at various points in my life.

KTVU.com: When you do read, what type of books do you like to read?

Neil Finn: Generally I like novels, and, you know, I've read a few biographies in recent times that I find quite interesting. I read the Mark Twain biography recently which was really interesting. But I'm a big fan of Ian McEwan's novels, I've read everything he's ever written. And lots of others as well. I like to bury myself in a good story. I'm sure it does make me a better writer, any reading you do or any way you fill your head with good stuff, good images, good ideas is going to have a good result on what comes out. But I just get distracted and fall out of the habit of reading sometimes.

KTVU.com: Speaking of getting distracted, there's one question I wanted to ask when we were talking about the Farewell to the World commentary track and if you don't mind I'd like to go back to that for just a moment.

Neil Finn: Sure.

KTVU.com: You made reference to playing a Crowded House song that had become very popular for you to play at weddings and there is a thinly disguised discussion that I think Nick Seymour brings up in reference to you having played a particular Crowded House song at Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman's wedding. And now I can't remember the name of the song...

Neil Finn: Was it "Fall At Your Feet?"

KTVU.com: Yep! It was "Fall At Your Feet."

Neil Finn: I wouldn't have thought that I'd already done that when I did the voice over - is this on the voice over or something?

KTVU.com: Yeah, it is on the commentary track for Farewell To The World.

Neil Finn: Yeah, I'm not sure on the sequence of events...I didn't think that had happened before...I thought I would have done Keith and Nicole's wedding after.

KTVU.com: It sounded like the commentary track was done right after the wedding. But the thing that struck me was, based on what was said on the commentary track, was that you must end up playing a lot of weddings. Is that something you do on a regular basis?

Neil Finn: Well, I've done that more than you'd think because we've done a lot of family occasion weddings where my brother and I have played so I've done my fair share of weddings.

KTVU.com: But is that something you do often or is it just kind of a "when the situation presents itself" kind of thing?

Neil Finn: No, that was a very rare thing doing that for Keith and Nicole and there's various reasons why that came together as it did. I get asked to play at people's weddings all the time...

KTVU.com: I'm sure.

Neil Finn: Random people will send requests in and I never normally do it. But I felt like maybe they'd be a bit bummed if they found out I actually had done one. So it just worked out to be a good thing to do. And it was really enjoyable actually, I must admit.

KTVU.com: Well, I've taken up a lot of your time today and I do appreciate it, and I just have one last question.

Neil Finn: Okay.

KTVU.com: "Don't Dream It's Over" -- arguably the most easily identifiable Crowded House song in the United States...

Neil Finn: Sure.

KTVU.com: ...And like many American fans that's probably the song that won me over immediately. That song is full of great imagery, beautiful melody, production is great, it's just a fantastic, all-around representation of your work. Would you mind sharing with us what you were thinking about when you wrote it and what the general inspiration for it is?

Neil Finn: Well, actually it's funny because I really don't remember exactly. I remember when I wrote it and where I was, but I don't really remember what the lyrics were angling at particularly except, I don't know, probably feeling a little melancholy and I was trying to give comfort to somebody who was feeling sad. And that's about all I remember. I mean, I can tell you where certain lines came from. You know, I was thinking about, too many possessions and how that can be a trap, you know and make you feel weighed down. And there's a dream aspect to the last verse which was "barely clearing the roof" was a flying dream I had had just before that where I suppose other flying dreams I had it was very easy to fly and this one I'd had it was really difficult to fly and I had to flap like crazy. So there's a reference to that in the last verse of the song.

KTVU.com: That's a really great source of inspiration for that line, something really sticks there. It goes back to what you said earlier, there is something real there and it resonates because of it. And it does so despite the writing being atypical rather than typical, it's not the standard issue, it's not the norm, not a typical way of expressing things and I think that's what a lot of people, myself included, really like about your songs.

Neil Finn: Well, good. I'm glad that's the way it comes across because I can only really write the way I write. I suppose I'm sort of juggling with meaning and illusion and it's a bit of trickery involved almost when you get it right. But there's always the danger that you can be meaningful and trite at the same time (Big laugh). Of course that means meaning "less" at the same time. It's a thin line, really, when it works and when it doesn't. But thanks, you know, that's good.

KTVU.com: Well, that's all of the time I'm going to take from you today, I could probably talk all day long but I don't want to torture you like that. You've been very generous with us and I thank you for that and your Bay Area fans thank you and we can't wait to see you and the rest of Crowded House again live. And naturally we're all anxiously awaiting the new album.

Neil Finn: Yeah, well I'm looking forward to the new record myself, so we'll be back there very soon.

KTVU.com: Any idea when?

Neil Finn: Probably not this year, but it's always going to be on our calendar at some point. San Francisco is one of our best areas ever.

KTVU.com: Well, we love you guys, definitely.

Neil Finn: Awesome, it's mutual.

KTVU.com: Thanks again, Neil! Take care, buddy!

Neil Finn: Thanks, Chuck! Take care!