Interview: Aidan Fine
From the Florida sun, to the streets of Joburg, and now the music studios of Auckland - Aidan Fine’s life is already like a mixtape. After gracing the Friday Night Bites stage a couple of years ago (in his Wings EP era), we were keen to find out what’s been cooking since. As well as a debut album that’s been years in the making, it turns out there’s been a whole lot of soul-searching, songwriting, and sonic shapeshifting going on too.

From the Florida sun, to the streets of Joburg, and now the music studios of Auckland - Aidan Fine’s life is already like a mixtape. After gracing the Friday Night Bites stage a couple of years ago (in his Wings EP era), we were keen to find out what’s been cooking since. As well as a debut album that’s been years in the making, it turns out there’s been a whole lot of soul-searching, songwriting, and sonic shapeshifting going on too.
Radio BurgerFuel: So man, how’s life been post-EP release when we last spoke [2023]?
Aidan Fine: “It’s been good. I’ve just been focused on getting the album out, it’s my first time releasing a full project like this. There’s been a lot of growth. And honestly, I’d do it all over again, even if I didn’t end up releasing anything. Just the learning alone, it’s stuff that’ll stick with me for the rest of my life.
It’s been years of work, and that kind of long process is rare now. The music industry moves fast - social media, algorithms, trends - everything’s so quick. But this album took its time. That persistence, that slow burn, I really love that. I got into music because I loved albums, full bodies of work. So, to be able to make one, and do it the way I wanted? That’s been a lifelong dream.”
"I was completely stealing other people's songs"
RBF: I want to rewind a bit and hear about your first musical memories. Is that where this passion came from?
AF: “Honestly, for the longest time I felt really confused because I didn't think my family was that musical. My dad plays guitar, so I was probably absorbing more than I realised growing up. I just didn’t connect the dots at the time
In primary school, I wanted to be an author, I was obsessively interested in writing and making stories. I tried a bunch of instruments too: drums, guitar, piano, DJing. Nothing really stuck. Until I realised I could write songs, that I could combine the writing with the music. That’s when it all made sense.
One of my earliest memories is finding an old notebook where I’d written lyrics when I was 10 or 11. But they were just other people’s songs. I was completely stealing other people's songs and pretending that it was my own. The lyrics to a song that exists already. But in my head, that was my song.
The day that it completely stuck for me was with my mate who was doing all this stuff on his computer, and he had FL Studio and I just got addicted to the idea of being able to start music from the most creative place. Nothing exists now, but by the end of today ,something's going to exist. I'm going to be the reason why it exists and I love that idea of just creating and adding something to the world, and in the process getting to learn a little bit about myself, how I feel, and what's going on in my life.”
"My music doesn’t really fit into one box, because I don’t either"
RBF: Do you think your background shaped your sound, because you’re not really stuck in a single genre?
AF: “Oh 100%. I’ve moved around a lot. Born in Florida, grew up in South Africa, finished school in New Zealand. So, I’ve never really had just one cultural identity. And that’s reflected in my music. It pulls from different places, different sounds. It doesn’t really fit into one box, because I don’t either.
I’ve always felt like music was my way of figuring out who I am. Not deciding who I am but working it out through the process. I want my sound to eventually be something that’s uniquely me. Even if it’s borrowing from a bunch of places. That’s kind of the dream.”
“If it were up to me, I probably wouldn’t even be on social media"
RBF: What’s your relationship like with social media as an artist?
AF: “Honestly, it’s really hard. I think for a lot of artists right now, we feel like we’re doing two jobs. Making music is one thing, but making content, learning algorithms, running ads, that’s a whole other job. And the platforms want you to be posting every day, to stay consistent, to be online all the time. That constant pressure? It’s exhausting.
And what’s weird is, I do music to give people a window into who I am. But now I also have to give people that same window through short clips and posts. And I don’t think that kind of content really shows the full picture. At least not the kind I want to share.
If it were up to me, I probably wouldn’t even be on social media. But because this is my business, I have to be. I’ve been spending weeks running ads, learning cost-per-clicks, A/B testing hooks, writing call-to-actions - and I’m not even a full-time marketer! But that’s what it takes now. And the question we all need to ask is: do we want artists to be part-time creatives and part-time influencers? Because that’s what we’re doing.”
"AI is like this hyper-intelligent thought partner"
RBF: What about AI, is that something you use creatively?
AF: “Yeah, every day. I use ChatGPT constantly. Not for writing music, but for learning. It’s like this hyper-intelligent thought partner. I can ask it anything and get a breakdown that actually makes sense.
I’ve used it to teach myself how to use Ableton, how to run my own webstore, how to do basic coding, Photoshop, all of it. It’s honestly made the DIY artist life more manageable.
And yeah, there are downsides for sure. We probably won’t know what some of them are until years from now. But right now, it’s helping me stay independent, and I think that’s pretty cool.”
"The best songs kinda write themselves"
RBF: So with the album ‘Ed’s Sun’, how did it come together? Talk us through your writing process.
AF: “Most of the time, I was working with Smudgey, my producer. We’d start with what we called a ‘vision’ - just a single sentence, something vivid and descriptive that gave us a vibe to build from. Like, ‘sun-kissed tangerine dreams on the beach’.
We’d use that to anchor the song, then from there we’d play around with chords, start building the music. I usually go melody first, then lyrics later. Even though lyrics mean the most to me, I need the structure and feeling to be there first. Then I go back and rewrite, that’swhere the real writing happens.
A lot of artists say this, but the best songs kind of write themselves. You don't really feel like you're in the driver's seat. So that's why we keep those visions very open-ended, and just allow ourselves to be like a conduit of whatever ideas are supposed to be made that day.”
"I want everyone to hear something different"
RBF: So, now you’re done and can reflect, what does this album mean to you, or say about you?
AF: I think it's a self-portrait. It's about my identity and it's basically just a snapshot of a period of my life where I'm in my early 20s,figuring out who I am and how I want to be as a person. Trying to find your own way through the world and doing that by looking back at the past, the nature and nurture of it all. How did you grow up, what you know, but also how you respond to those things. So, it's very self-reflective I think.
RBF: Do you have anyone in mind when you’re writing?
AF: “To be honest, I don’t really think about anyone when I’m writing. I try not to think at all. The moment I start overthinking, I get blocked. So I just let it come out, then when I go back and rewrite, that’s when I start to shape it.
What I really want is for the songs to work like those hologram cards - you know, the ones that change depending on how you tilt them. I want everyone to hear something different, based on their own life. But at the same time, I still want it to feel deeply personal to me. That balance, universal and specific, that’s the goal.”
"Heat Stroke was years in the making"
RBF: For me, one of my favourite tracks is ‘Heat Stroke’. Can you tell me about the colab with Yamikani.?
AF: “Yeah, Yamikani’s amazing. We met online a few years ago. She’s originally from Zimbabwe but based in the UK now. She actually did a little voice skit on my Wings EP that you probably didn’t know was in there. That was the first time we worked together.
Since then, we’ve been trying to get a proper song going, and it finally happened with ‘Heat Stroke’. I’m stoked people are connecting with it, because I think her voice and her presence adds something really special. We collaborate really well, and I hope we get to do more together.”
RBF: Now that the album is done, what’s coming up for you?
AF: “I’m playing Big sound in Brisbane later this year, which is huge. I’ve never been to Australia, so I’m really excited for that. And I’ve got my first headline show coming up at Double Whammy in September, which is also a big milestone. I’ve done lots of support slots and shows, but this will be the first one where it’s just my world.
We did the Ones to Watch showcase a few weeks ago. It was the first time playing some of the album songs live, and it felt incredible. That live element is really important to me. I want the shows to feel immersive, kind of psychedelic even. I want people to be in it.
And beyond that, I’ve got more music coming. The album’s done, but I’ve been working on stuff ever since it was finished. So I’m just excited to keep putting things out, keep evolving, andkeep playing.”
Aidan Fine’s debut album is out on August 1, listen to Ed’s Sun on all streaming platforms. He’s playing his first ever headline show at Double Whammy in September, and heading to Big sound in Brisbane later this year. Follow him at @aidanfine_ for more music, thoughts, and chaotic-good energy.