Blending folk and pop, duo Fionn examines life after the whole world shut down back in 2020 due to Covid in their newest single. “Picnic On the Moon” is a combination of sad nostalgia and happy optimism. It’s about mourning what was and what we thought life would hold. But, it is also about coming to terms and falling in love with what life brings you now.
“I wrote ‘Picnic on the Moon’ at a strange point in my life. It goes without saying, we all ended up in situations that differed from our expectations back in 2020. For me that meant a full time job in childcare that I had never anticipated for myself as live music and shows became non-existent. I was immensely frustrated with this reality as I had always dreamed my twenties would be filled with touring and traveling. Like many, I fell into periods of intense depression. I believed my dreams were crumbling to dust,” Brianne, one half Fionn, shared.
"As the months went by, I slowly started to surrender and appreciate the little things that brought me joy on the daily. I give a lot of credit to the kids as they helped me to see the mundane from a childlike and exciting point of view. At the same time I was falling deeply in love with my partner of three years, the isolation brought us much closer together - we made our own fun, almost building our own world together. What really tied the song together was one of the imaginative children I was working with. Every day he would point at the sky and ask if we could go have a ‘Picnic On the Moon’. The phrase stuck with me as it brought such a beautiful image to my mind.”
The influence of Brianne’s days working at the daycare comes through the descriptions present in “Picnic On The Moon.” Fionn sings about candy necklaces, lemon drops, wishing on stars, and castles in the sky. All of which felt like iconic childhood memories. I could remember my own fascination and love for candy necklaces as a child. Fionn captured the essence of childhood: sweets and large imaginations. Brianne’s example of how seeing the mundane from a child’s perspective is never dull stuck with me. Children are the most precious beings who believe anything is possible, like “sit[ing] on Saturn’s rings,” a lyric present in the song. But, sadly, as Fionn sings, leading up to the Saturn lyric, “we could run outside like we’re eleven, and the whole world says it’s time to stop pretending.” The world forces us to grow up and be realistic to survive and get far in life; we can’t stay young like Peter Pan’s lost boys. Yet, “Picnic On The Moon” illustrates the positives of falling back to our daydreaming, optimistic childhood mentally and roots.
Fionn connects to other relatable parts of life, singing about how “we could dance outside like it’s the ending of a rom-com play song, roll the credits.” Rom-Coms are the epitome of love at its peak: the love and love story many strive for. I loved and laughed at the “roll the credits” parts. Rom-Coms always end on a happy, high note with a happily ever after, but that is most often never the case. Sometimes it’s problematic to give the idea that everything is perfect, but sometimes that’s just what you need. Since Fionn’s inspiration comes from Covid’s effect on life, it makes perfect sense that they want to end with the positive. As the world is falling down around you, you want to hold tight to hope and happiness.
“Picnic On The Moon” combines folk and pop as it uses childhood imagery to describe falling in love. It’s a beautiful ballad with a piano and guitar backing up Fionn’s exquisite dreamy and jaw-dropping vocals. The chorus brings in drums, creating a louder, more emotional climax.
Fionn and their song “Picnic on The Moon” are incredible. “Picnic On The Moon” is a new favorite of mine.
Fionn is the moniker of Canadian singer-songwriting sisters Brianne and Alanna Finn-Morris. Debuting in 2017, the Canadian Fionn has recorded over 1.5 million Spotify streams. They began producing folk music with honest lyricism and captivating storytelling. In 2019, Fionn began changing directions as they added more pop elements to their music, releasing more playful music while still staying true to themselves. “Picnic On The Moon” is a perfect example of their two styles combining: their folk background and their pop-forward songwriting/production. Billboard noted Fionn as “undeniably seasoned” early on in their career, and Fionn’s music has made it to playlists such as It’s a Bop, NMF, Indie All Stars, Friday Cratediggers, and Fresh Finds.
Written by Anne Friedman