Early Wednesday night, I found Finneas O’Connell in a pair of faded jeans with a sharpie in hand, signing records in Central Park. He was preparing to play the second show with his collaborator Ashlyn Willson, who performs as Ashe, and there was an air of excitement at the park’s SummerStage as their fans lined up outside of the gates. Willson and O’Connell were in casual garb when we sat down to talk backstage in the daylight, but by 8 pm, they hit the stage in champagne and gold—Willson in intricately beaded Veronica Beard, and O’Connell in a cleaned-up pair of Wranglers, a velvet blazer from Suit Supply, an Yves Saint Laurent tie, and John Hardy jewelry.
Last night marked their second performance of songs from The Dream, their debut album as The Favors. It’s a departure for O’Connell, from both his work as a solo artist and as a co-writer and producer for his sister, Billie Eilish. As The Favors, O’Connell and Willson are playing a type of rock music that feels inherently social, loud, and exciting—but the project began in secret, and as a half-joke. Willson texted O’Connell a hypothetical, on a lark—what if we started a band? Six months later, they were one.
Courtesy of Shervin Lainez.
