Neil Finn’s third solo album Dizzy Heights is released today, as the singer-songwriter gears up for an Australian tour next month to support the release of his first solo effort in 13 years.

But the treasured Crowded House/Split Enz frontman is dealing with comments he made yesterday to The Guardian in an interview promoting his new album, concerning a fellow Kiwi native who’s rising star has accelerated to incredible heights in the last 12 months: Lorde.

Discussing the 17-year-old ‘Royals’ hit-maker’s chart-toppinghistory-making success, and its impact back home in New Zealand, Finn suggests that the local media’s pride with the girl born Ella Yelich O’Connor has swiftly turned into an obsessive fascination.

“New Zealand had, up until that moment, been quite a good environment [for her] because people are not super celebrity-oriented, they pretty much leave you alone. But it keeps reaching this new critical mass and now with winning two Grammys, I think it’s getting pretty intense,” Finn tells The Guardian (via FasterLouder).

“Those news teams are idiots,” adds the 55-year-old musician, referring to an incident in which reporters accosted Lorde at Auckland airport for her victorious homecoming from the US awards ceremony where she scooped half of the four Grammys she was nominated for. “I’d think she might go well moving to New York or something… It wouldn’t be a bad move to get among the centre of operations.”

Writing in a series of (since deleted) tweets, Lorde wrote: “there is a difference between attn [sic] from fans and the constant, often lecherous gaze that I’m subjected to in this industry.”

Finn offered his opinion to The Guardian on a way for the young singer to lessen the intensity of the ‘lecherous gaze’.

“I’d think she might go well moving to New York or something, where there are more famous people and less bother about it,” he says. “It wouldn’t be a bad move to get among the centre of operations.”

In a tweet of his own today however, Finn points out that his “offhand comment” was spun into a headline of ‘Lorde should leave New Zealand’, giving “advice that isn’t needed.”

The Crowded House songsmith is right, Lorde’s doing fine on her own.

After scooping the ‘Best Solo Pop Performance’ and ‘Song Of The Year’ categories at the Grammys and coming #2 on Triple J’s Hottest 100, Lorde’s been capitalising on the multi-platinum success of her debut album Pure Heroine Down Under as part of the Laneway Festival 2014 lineup, which checks into Adelaide today for its penultimate showing before wrapping up in Perth tomorrow.

It could be the last Australian visit from the Kiwi sensation for some time, “due to the fact that Lorde is becoming one of the biggest & buzziest artists in the world right now, she is under a lot of pressure from everywhere in the world” – the words of the musician’s booking agency, following her pulling out as ‘secret headliner’ for an Adelaide music festival recently.

Earlier this week it was revealed that Lorde was booked to headline UniSA’s Gear Up 2014 lineup later this month, but had to cancel on the festival – as well as plans for a return headline tour of the Antipodes in “April-ish” – to focus on the American market for her 2014 tour itinerary, including 16 US dates in March as well as festival appearances at Coachella 2014 and Lollapalooza in April.

View Neil Finn’s Dizzy Heights Album Tour dates and the closing Laneway dates below.

Neil Finn Australian Tour 2014

with special guest Joshua James

Thursday 6th March – Civic Centre, Nambour
Friday 7th March – Qpac Concert Hall, Brisbane
Sunday 9th March – Canberra Theatre, Canberra – Just Added
Tuesday 11th March – GPAC Playhouse, Geelong
Wednesday 12th March – Hamer Hall, Melbourne
Thursday 13th March – Hamer Hall, Melbourne
Saturday 15th March – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
Sunday 16th March – Concert Hall, Perth
Thursday 20th March – Civic Theatre, Newcastle
Friday 21st March – Sydney Opera House, Sydney
Saturday 22nd March – Sydney Opera House, Sydney

Tickets and further info at livenation.com.au/artist/neil-finn-tickets

Laneway Festival 2014 Set Times – Adelaide

Friday 7th February – Harts Mill, Port Adelaide
View/download the Adelaide Laneway Map here
Click To Enlarge
Laneway Adelaide Set Times

Laneway Festival 2014 Set Times – Perth

Saturday 8th February – Esplanade Park and West End, Fremantle
View/download the Perth Laneway Map here
Click To Enlarge
Laneway Perth Set Times

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