Billie Eilish and FINNEAS on Their Parents’ Parenting Style
Billie Eilish and FINNEAS became chart-topping songwriters at a young age. Even as teenagers, these two were treated like “grown-ups” by their managers and their parents. Here’s what we learned about Patrick O’Connell and Maggie Baird’s parenting style.
How old was Billie Eilish when she got famous?
Eilish and her brother, Finneas, have always been passionate about music, crediting their knowledge of harmony to their time spent in a children’s choir. Eilish first rose to stardom with the release of “Ocean Eyes.”
When this song was released on SoundCloud, Eilish was only 13 years old. (She was 14 when the music video premiered on YouTube.) Her brother was also a teenager at the time, with the duo being homeschooled for most of their lives.
Since “Ocean Eyes” premiered, Eilish collaborated with Justin Bieber, earned Grammy Awards and an Academy Award, and became one of the most prominent voices in pop music. She continued to release music as a teenager, including When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go.
Billie Eilish and FINNEAS said their parents were ‘never’ condescending
Eilish and Finneas’ parents were supportive of their career path, even allowing the two to spend late nights working on music. FINNEAS mentioned his experience growing up with Eilish and living with his family.
“Our parents never talked down to us because we were children,” Finneas said during an interview with Billboard. “They might have had to repeat themselves and explain something more than if they were talking to an adult, but they never talked to us with a kind of…”
“Condescension,” Eilish said.
“Yeah, they were never condescending to us ever, and neither are our managers,” Finneas added. “I think our managers communicating openly with us and treating us like peers even though we were children at the time that we started working with them, we were used to that style of communication from our parents.”
Even now, Eilish and FINNEAS have a close relationship with their parents, with Eilish’s mother, Maggie Baird, accompanying her on several tour dates and Eilish sleeping at home “most nights.”
Danny Rukasin and Brandon Goodman have been Eilish’s managers since the beginning. During the same interview Goodman said Baird still has a large role in the decision making for these young stars.
Billie Eilish released ‘Happier Than Ever’ in 2021
Eilish and FINNEAS continue to have creative control over their music, often collaborating on solo projects. FINNEAS appeared as a producer and songwriter for the 2021 album Happier Than Ever, performed by Eilish.
The two wrote music for Disney and Pixar’s 2022 release Turning Red. That working friendship is illustrated with “everything i wanted,” which Eilish dedicated to her brother/collaborator.
“No matter what happens, we always have been and will be there to make it better,” Eilish said in a statement. Music by FINNEAS and Eilish is available on most major streaming platforms.
