Finn Forster on Scottish crowds, Nashville inspiration and why he's only just getting started
- Jul 2
- 3 min read
Written by Lauren Page | @LiveWithLP
He's quickly becoming one of the UK's most exciting rising singer-songwriters, and after catching Finn Forster at TRNSMT Festival, it's easy to see why. Fresh from a packed run of UK shows, a string of festival appearances and the release of his latest single Strangers, Finn caught up with LiveWithLP backstage to chat Scottish crowds, country music influences and why, despite everything happening around him, he still feels like he's only just getting started.
Before we even got onto the music, there was one obvious topic to address. Two English people standing backstage at Scotland's biggest music festival? Surely someone had mentioned the football..
Thankfully, Finn laughed it off.
As a lifelong Middlesbrough supporter, he's no stranger to football heartbreak anyway, joking that Boro have already prepared him for disappointment. But despite the friendly rivalry, he had nothing but praise for Scottish audiences.
"I'll always say there's no crowd like a Scottish crowd, they've taken me under their wing from the early days and they're so supportive. I absolutely love coming back here."
It's a statement backed up by recent experience. Having just wrapped up a UK tour, including headline dates at Glasgow's iconic King Tut's Wah Wah Hut and Edinburgh's Mash House, Finn has already built a loyal following north of the border.
For any emerging artist, playing King Tut's is a milestone. The venue has launched countless careers over the years, and Finn clearly appreciates what it means to tick it off the list.
His latest single, Strangers, is also continuing to connect with audiences. Performing an emotional track at a busy festival isn't always easy, especially when louder stages surround you, but Finn admitted the timing worked in his favour.
"It actually became quite intimate," he explained. "Another stage finished halfway through the song, so everything just settled down and it created this really lovely moment."
It's been a whirlwind few months, and from the outside looking in, it feels like Finn's career has gone from strength to strength almost overnight. But he sees things slightly differently.
"People think there's one destination where you suddenly feel like you've made it," he said. "It's not really like that. It's more that amazing things keep happening more frequently. You just try to enjoy every one of those moments and keep building."
It's a refreshingly grounded outlook from an artist whose profile continues to grow with every release.
When it comes to his songwriting, Finn's influences paint a fascinating picture. He points to Paolo Nutini, Chris Stapleton and Stereophonics as some of his biggest inspirations, with touring alongside Stereophonics last year standing out as one of the defining moments of his career so far.
"I'd seen them seven times before," he laughed. "Then suddenly I'm out on tour with them for nearly a month. That was a proper pinch-me moment."
As someone who spends most weekends living in cowboy boots, I couldn't let Chris Stapleton's name slide without asking whether country music had become part of Finn's sound.
The answer? Absolutely.
After spending a month writing in Nashville earlier this year, Finn found himself even more immersed in the city's songwriting culture.
"It just bleeds country over there," he said. "I come from an Irish folk background with my family band, and country shares so much DNA with folk music. I think it's always going to be embedded in me as an artist."
It's perhaps one of the reasons Finn's music feels so authentic. While it comfortably sits within the indie and singer-songwriter world, there's a warmth and storytelling style that naturally crosses into Americana and country without ever feeling forced.
The rest of 2026 certainly isn't slowing down either.
Following appearances at TRNSMT and Isle of Wight Festival, Finn has a packed festival season ahead before heading out across Europe this autumn, with shows planned in cities including Budapest, Prague, Milan, Berlin and Hamburg.
Perhaps most excitingly for fans, Strangers is only the beginning.
"I've got so much new music," he revealed. "People can expect more singles throughout the year which will all build towards a bigger body of work, maybe something like an extended EP."
With momentum continuing to build and a relentless touring schedule ahead, Finn shows no signs of easing off.
Before wrapping up, I asked him the question I finish every interview with: which up-and-coming artist should everyone else be listening to?
Without hesitation, he recommended fellow North East musician Tom A. Smith.
"He's smashing it," Finn said. "I've known him and his family for a while, and I'm really enjoying seeing him come into his own."
Judging by the reaction inside TRNSMT and the year Finn Forster has ahead of him, it feels like plenty of people will soon be saying exactly the same thing about him.
Finn Forster Strangers is out now