7 Worlds Collide is a musical project by New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 singer/songwriter, Neil Finn

Neil Finn

Neil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...

. The project brings together Finn and other musicians in support of charity.

Finn has released two recordings associated with the project. The initial project release was a 2001 live album, credited to "Neil Finn and Friends", and titled 7 Worlds Collide

7 Worlds Collide (album)

7 Worlds Collide is an album released in 2001 by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. It is a live recording culled from a series of five shows recorded at the St James theatre in Auckland, New Zealand from April 2 to April 6, 2001...

. A second recording titled The Sun Came Out

The Sun Came Out

The Sun Came Out is a charity studio album released on 31 August 2009 by New Zealand singer/songwriter Neil Finn for the benefit of Oxfam. The album was recorded at Neil Finn's Roundhead Studios and is a follow up to the 7 Worlds Collide live album of 2001...

was released in August 2009.

The title of the project is derived from the line "Seven worlds will collide / whenever I am by your side" from Crowded House

Crowded House

Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...

's 1993 single "Distant Sun

Distant Sun

"Distant Sun" is a 1993 song by rock group Crowded House. It was the first single released from the group's fourth studio album Together Alone...

".

2001 live release

The first 7 Worlds Collide album was released in 2001 and is a live recording culled from a series of five shows recorded at the St James theatre in Auckland

Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

, New Zealand from April 2, 2001 to April 6, 2001. The album was released under the credit "Neil Finn & Friends"; Notable guests in Finn's band included Eddie Vedder

Eddie Vedder

Eddie Vedder is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam. He is widely considered a cultural icon of alternative rock.He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums...

, Johnny Marr

Johnny Marr

Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...

, Ed O'Brien

Ed O'Brien

Edward John O'Brien is an English musician, songwriter and guitarist for the rock band Radiohead. He is also responsible for harmony vocals during live concerts and on many tracks from the band's albums...

, Tim Finn

Tim Finn

Brian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...

, Sebastian Steinberg

Sebastian Steinberg

Sebastian Steinberg is an American bass player, best known for his work in the band Soul Coughing.- Biography :Steinberg played with Soul Coughing throughout the band's entire history, from 1992–2000. He also recorded and performed with guitarist Marc Ribot and appeared on William Shatner's 2004...

, Phil Selway

Phil Selway

Philip James "Phil" "The Graf" Selway is an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of English rock group Radiohead. He also drums and provides backing vocals, along with occasional guitar and lead vocals, for 7 Worlds Collide...

, Lisa Germano

Lisa Germano

Lisa Germano is an American singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has released seven albums featuring her often-hushed vocal style, confessional lyrics, and distinctive violin. Her 1994 album Geek the Girl received widespread critical acclaim, including being featured as a top album of...

 and Betchadupa

Betchadupa

Betchadupa is a New Zealand pop/rock group.Formed in 1997, in Auckland, the band features Liam Finn, son of Neil Finn, of Crowded House and Split Enz and Matt Eccles, son of Brent Eccles ....

 (featuring Neil's son Liam Finn

Liam Finn

Liam Mullane Finn is a New Zealand musician and songwriter. Born in Australia, he moved to New Zealand as a child...

).

2008/9 follow up

In December 2008 the 7 Worlds Collide lineup reconvened in Auckland, New Zealand to record a studio charity album for Oxfam

Oxfam

Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...

. The album was recorded in Finn's Roundhead Studios and featured all-new material, with singing and songwriting contributions divided amongst the group. Most of the original participants returned, along with several new additions including Jeff Tweedy

Jeff Tweedy

Jeffrey Scot "Jeff" Tweedy is an American songwriter, musician and leader of the band Wilco. Tweedy joined rockabilly band The Plebes with high school friend Jay Farrar in the early 1980s, but Tweedy's musical interests caused one of Farrar's brothers to quit...

, Glenn Kotche

Glenn Kotche

Glenn Kotche is an American drummer and composer, best known for his involvement in the band Wilco. He was named the 41st greatest drummer of all time by Gigwise in 2008.Prior to working with Wilco, Kotche released a four-track album...

, John Stirratt

John Stirratt

John Stirratt is the bassist and multi-instrumentalist for Wilco, and The Autumn Defense.Stirratt was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on November 26, 1967 and grew up in nearby Mandeville. He attended Mandeville High School and the University of Mississippi...

 and Pat Sansone

Pat Sansone

Pat Sansone is a multi-instrumentalist in the rock bands Wilco and The Autumn Defense.Sansone was born in Meridian, Mississippi...

 of Wilco

Wilco

Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...

, Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall

KT Tunstall

Kate Victoria "KT" Tunstall is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist from St Andrews, Scotland. She broke into the public eye with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland...

, and New Zealand songwriters Don McGlashan

Don McGlashan

Don McGlashan is a New Zealand musician and songwriter who has been a member of bands such as The Plague, From Scratch, The Whizz Kids, Blam Blam Blam, The Front Lawn, The Mutton Birds and, from 2009, The Bellbirds. He composed several pieces for the Limbs Dance Company...

 and Bic Runga

Bic Runga

Briolette Kah Bic Runga MNZM is a New Zealand pop recording artist whose first solo album, Drive, debuted at number one on the New Zealand RIANZ charts. She has since become one of the highest-selling New Zealand artists in recent history...

.

In early January 2009 the ensemble played three sold out shows at the Powerstation concert venue in Auckland.

The album, titled The Sun Came Out

The Sun Came Out

The Sun Came Out is a charity studio album released on 31 August 2009 by New Zealand singer/songwriter Neil Finn for the benefit of Oxfam. The album was recorded at Neil Finn's Roundhead Studios and is a follow up to the 7 Worlds Collide live album of 2001...

, was released on 31 August 2009.