FINNEAS & Ashe Find Their Voice as The Favors on "The Little Mess You Made"

Some breakups leave bruises; others leave dishes in the sink. The Favors, fronted by FINNEAS and Ashe, sing sweetly about the latter on their aching debut single, “The Little Mess You Made.” And if you like Fleetwood Mac, Carole King, The Mamas and The Papas, and Simon & Garfunkel, you’re in for a treat with The Favors.

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Stream: “The Little Mess You Made” – The Favors

Some collaborations just work: Like lightning in a bottle, certain musical duos capture a rare magic that transcends a single song or fleeting moment.

For FINNEAS and Ashe, that magic has sparked not once, not twice, but now three times – and this time, they’re turning up the voltage. Their latest venture, a full-blown band called The Favors, isn’t just a passion project: It’s a lush, Laurel Canyon-inspired reawakening of 1970s folk pop, and their debut single “The Little Mess You Made” feels like the start of something timeless.

The track is the first taste from The Dream, The Favors’ debut album, arriving this September, and it already delivers on everything the duo promised. With nods to Fleetwood Mac, Carole King, The Mamas and The Papas, and Simon & Garfunkel, “The Little Mess You Made” channels the tender, harmony-laden soul of a bygone era while sounding surprisingly modern. The song’s soft acoustic textures, warm analog tones, and bittersweet lyricism make it feel like it’s always been with us, like an old favorite dusted off and rediscovered on vinyl.

The little mess you made
Is filling up our room
A little bit of rain
Is filling up our shoes
Maybe second place
Is just the first to lose
You can have your cake
You can have mine too

Say when
You’ll never see me again

“The Little Mess You Made” opens with the kind of conversational intimacy that defined the golden age of folk rock. It’s a push-and-pull duet between two people who clearly know each other inside and out, singing not at but to each other, gently navigating conflict with affection. It’s rare that a song captures the complexity of love without turning to melodrama, but The Favors achieve this balance with grace. The vocals are tender but unflinching, brimming with tension and warmth in equal measure.

FINNEAS and Ashe are no strangers to emotional honesty in songwriting. Ashe’s breakout hit “Moral of the Story” (co-written with FINNEAS) was a masterclass in vulnerability, and their previous duet “Till Forever Falls Apart” showed just how much chemistry they share.

But with The Favors, that chemistry evolves into something even more collaborative. This isn’t a featured-artist situation or a guest spot. This is two artists creating a new space entirely, a shared musical language that’s rich in harmony and heart.

“The Little Mess You Made” is steeped in retro influence.

The guitar lines feel lifted from a dusty Laurel Canyon studio circa 1974, and the percussion is warm, steady, and unobtrusive, more felt than heard. There’s an off-the-cuff quality to the arrangement that lends the song a lived-in authenticity, like you’re catching a moment of spontaneous brilliance in a late-night jam session.

But don’t mistake its simplicity for a lack of ambition. The production, helmed by FINNEAS, naturally, is subtly expansive. There are layers of vocal harmony tucked beneath the lead lines, glowing organ tones that bloom behind the chorus, and a cinematic sweep that hints at the scope of The Dream as a full album. It’s a track that invites repeated listens, revealing more each time.

The little mess you made
Is all over the news
The littlest mistake
Can leave the darkest bruise
Maybe I’m too late
Maybe it’s too soon
Who gets all the blame?
I guess it’s up to you

Say when
You’ll never see me again
Just pretend
She was just a friend

What sets The Favors apart from other super-duo side projects is how fully committed both artists seem to be. There’s no sense of this being a one-off experiment; instead, there’s a shared vision here, one rooted in a deep love for the craft of songwriting and the communal spirit of music-making.

Ashe has described the recording process as “romantic and fun,” and that comes through in the music. She and FINNEAS reportedly sang many of the vocals together in the same room, a rarity in modern recording practices, and that human closeness is unmistakable in the final product. Their voices don’t just harmonize; they intertwine, push, pull, and respond. There’s a lived-in familiarity that gives “The Little Mess You Made” a rare emotional depth.

FINNEAS adds that The Dream is meant to be listened to “front to back,” a true long-play experience. It’s not hard to imagine “The Little Mess You Made” as the warm welcome at the beginning of that journey: the sun dipping low over the horizon, friends gathered in a kitchen, a record spinning slowly, and stories unfolding one track at a time.

The little mess you made, the little mess you made
Is filling up our room, is all over the news
A little bit of rain, the littlest mistake
Is filling up our shoes, can leave the darkest bruise
Maybe second place, maybe I’m too late
Is just the first to lose, maybe it’s too soon
You can have your cake, who gets all the blame?
You can have mine too, I guess it’s up to you

The Favors are: Finneas O'Connell and Ashe © Alex G Harper — The Favors are: Finneas O’Connell and Ashe © Alex G Harper

With “The Little Mess You Made,” The Favors plant their flag firmly in the fertile ground of nostalgia, but they don’t get lost in it.

Instead, they reinterpret the past with clarity and purpose, bringing the spirit of Laurel Canyon into a contemporary context that feels as vibrant and relevant as ever.

Say when
You’ll never see me again

There’s something undeniably comforting about hearing two artists so in sync, making music that feels honest, timeless, and just a little bit magical. The Dream promises to be a record for long drives, lazy Sundays, and heart-to-hearts, and if “The Little Mess You Made” is any indication, we’re in for something truly special.

Ashe puts it best: “I want you to feel simultaneously warm, fuzzy, and heartbroken at the same time.”

Mission accomplished.

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