Do you think the world can handle two Eilishes? While we do only just have one immensely talented singer-songwriter, Billie Eilish actually has a brother who is making waves of his own in the music world. It’s been a while since we’ve had a dynamic brother-sister writing and producing team dropping single after single, so now that these two's songs are getting the attention of the Grammys, it’s time to get to know Eilish's brother Finneas O'Connell.
O'Connell is four years older than Eilish, clocking in at 22-years young (and sorry if that makes you feel super old now). But, while Eilish is currently the household name, we’ve actually known O'Connell longer than her.
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Back in 2015, O'Connell played Alistair during the final season of Glee, and also popped up in both Modern Family as Ronnie Jr, and 2011’s Bad Teacher as Spencer. You also might have heard him in Fallout 4 as Liam. While he hasn’t had any major acting credits for the past few years, there’s always a chance he could return to it — that is, if he’s not super busy writing and producing his own music, along with songs for Eilish and other major recording artists.
Together with Eilish, the two have over 30 tracks (and counting) together, with O'Connell serving as both writer and producer. If that’s not enough, it was also recently announced that Eilish is set to do the latest James Bond theme for No Time To Die, and she co-wrote the still-untitled song alongside O'Connell.
“Writing the theme song for a Bond film is something we’ve been dreaming about doing our entire lives,” O'Connell explained in a statement following the news. “There is no more iconic pairing of music and cinema than the likes of Goldfinger and Live and Let Die. We feel so, so lucky to play a small role in such a legendary franchise, long live 007.”
It’s going to be pretty hard to top writing a Bond theme, but from the looks of their career, it’s something O'Connell and Eilish are sure to do (especially considering the track record for artists winning both Grammys and Oscars for their Bond themes).
And O'Connell doesn’t just collaborate with his sister, but a handful of other artists you’ve definitely heard before. Know Selena Gomez’s latest song, “Lose You to Love Me”? O'Connell produced that, along with Camila Cabello’s "First Man" and “Used To This” (he also co-wrote the latter). If that’s not enough, he also co-wrote and produced Halsey’s "I Hate Everybody" off of her latest album Manic.
At the 2020 Grammys, O'Connell is nominated for five awards including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Producer of the Year so be prepared to keep hearing O'Connell’s name and music in the future.