Free Finga

The tales of child stars rarely have happy endings. Fame and fortune understandably have a warping effect on young minds, leading to all sorts of issues in later life, but so far Lithuanian artist Free Finga – real name Tomas Narkevičius – has managed to avoid the worse pitfalls. A child pop star, the producer and musician has since turned to writing songs as a way of dealing with personal dramas – music that’s catchy yet cool and, according to his BandCamp page, “unleashes your wildest sensitivity and comforts with a soothing angst.”

His work is a thoroughly modern interpretation of R&B with crisp, glacial production, hints of trap beats, and sweet, high vocals – very stylish and very hip. He penned his debut album all about Tinder – cleverly titled Pick Up Line, it tapped into very Millennial issues surrounding technology and love – while follow up DEMESIO! (it translates as ATTENTION!) continues his deconstruction of modern society from a youthful perspective. Fear of mediocrity, the pursuit of perfection, and childhood experiences are all raked over and dissected; live, his concerts are structured to resemble “a journey through the worlds of the living and the dead.”

That tour – in support of DEMESIO! – has called in at numerous festivals all summer 2022 long as well as arenas in his native Lithuania. And critical acclaim has followed the rapturous reception from fans; at the 2020 MAMA Awards, he scooped Best Urban Band and Artist Of The Year. Rarely granting interviews or revealing much information about his work, Free Finga is something of an enigma, content to let his music do his talking. And it does – forward thinking, immersive, and intelligent. What else is there to add?