Finneas has never needed much to get a song to hit hard – and on his new Apple Music Nashville Session EP he proves it. Releasing today exclusively on Apple Music, the three-track live recording draws its sound back to its Barest elements, spotlight songwriting, space and a silent electrifying guest look by Country-pop-shapeskor Kacey Musgraves.
The set includes acoustic versions of “Starfucker” and “Same Old Story” from Finneas’ 2024 Sophomore Album To cry out loud!, Each one is converted with a rawness that feels both intentional and intimate. But it is the third track, “giver / takeer”, which steals the moment-a gently devastating duet with Musgraves, lifting from its own Grammy-nominated disc Deeper well. It is a slowly burning exchange between two artists who understand restraint better than most: discreet yet brilliant, which develops as a calm conversation on Twilight-actor, measured and unexpectedly magnetic.
Two of the tracks-“Starfucker” and “Giver / Roofer”-also come with exclusive live performance videos, filmed in the same stripped environment. There is no overproduction, no reinforcement, no camera immeds – only two artists in a room, wearing melodies with a calm conviction that does not scream for attention, but serves it. As with all Nashville sessions, the performances are delivered in spatial sound and places the listener right in the silence – from the line, the middle.
The Apple Music Nashville Session series was launched in 2022 and invites artists to visit their own catalog in a stripped studio setting-that often reveals new shades of the acquaintances. It’s not about spectacle; It’s about the songs. Finneas slopes completely into the ethos here and acts layered arrangements for naked emotional weight and lets the tracks breathe deeper. It’s a flex that doesn’t shout – just reason.
This edition arrives just weeks after the last part of Finneas’ sold out To cry out loud! Tourthat crossed North America, Australia and New Zealand, with European and British dates still forward. At the same time, the album itself continues to be praised for its coherent story and Sonic Assurance – a project that expires Finneas from the producer’s chair and stuck in the frame as a solo artist with a voice that is not only distinct, but completely realized.
Kacey Musgraves is meanwhile deep into a banner year. Her latest album Deeper well Debuted on No. 1 over several charts, and its leading single, “The Architect”, received a Grammy Prize for Best Country song. Her appearance in the Nashville sessions does not read as a strategic move – rather it feels instinctively and artistically adapted. Her presence does not exceed Finneas; It complements and adds her silent, observation magic to the performance as a shared secret.
There is no spectacle here, no viral hooks tailored for Tiktok rolls. But this EP offers somewhat rarer – a masterclass in restraint and subtlety. It is a reminder that sometimes the quietest songs often land most difficult when the lights dampen and the noise goes back. It is a stripped-back showcase with two brilliant senses on their most distilled-no tricks, no flash, just the kind of stillness that remains long after the last note.
Listen to Apple Music Nashville sessions with Finneas and Kacey Musgrave’s playlist here.
Spun sessions yet? Dive in, turn it around and let the silent hit differently. Share your thoughts with us at – We listen.
