Releasing a debut album is usually enough to mark a major milestone for any musician. For Finn Wolfhard, it was only one part of an unusually busy year.

The multi-hyphenate artist spent 2025 releasing his debut album, Happy Birthday, premiering his directorial debut with the horror-comedy Hell of a Summer, and wrapping up the final chapter on the Netflix phenomenon, Stranger Things. Now, as he gears up for the release of his second album, Fire From the Hip (out July 10), he approaches our conversation with a humility that belies the scale of his career.

Fire From the Hip features 12 tracks that blend a mix of hi-fi and analog rock, with Wolfhard’s songwriting (and comedic) prowess on full display. It strikes the perfect balance of emotional honesty that even dips into vulnerability at times, without taking itself so seriously that it can’t crack a joke here and there. Take, for instance, the album’s closing track, “The Climb (Not That One),” an angsty country-style ballad about the dissolution of friendships, while cheekily distinguishing itself from the Miley Cyrus song of the same name. But, for Wolfhard, that mix of melancholy and playfulness is simply something that comes naturally. 

“I think that kind of writing style is just like reflective of my personality,” he explains. “Even when something is sad or melancholic, I’m always trying to find some sense of humor within it, or some kind of optimism.” That optimism carries throughout the record, which feels like Happy Birthday’s more evolved, more produced counterpart. Wolfhard’s distinct sound remains intact, only bolder and more assured — a reflection of an artist who has found his footing.

“With the first record, I did it with my friend Kai [Slater, of Chicago indie rock band Lifeguard], who co-produced it with me, and I also recorded some songs on my own,” says Wolfhard. “It was a lot more of a DIY process, and I had to wait a little longer for it to come out, because I needed to be done with Stranger Things, so that I could have time to tour it and do press for it. So, by the time that Happy Birthday came out, I had all these songs for this other album, and so I was ready to record another one. I sort of went right into it, and it was a fast turnaround. I just wanted it to have a similar feel. Still very warm, and have a lot of saturation, but I also wanted it to sound a little more lush and hi-fi.” 

Leaning into inspiration from iconic rock albums like The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street and Beggars Banquet, Wolfhard sought the help of some of his closest friends and collaborators, and recorded the album at Pachyderm Studios earlier this year. While life had certainly given him enough to work with to warrant an “older and wiser” approach over the course of 2025, he can trace his catalog of inspiration back even further. 

“The thing about this record is that I do believe that it’s just a little bit more mature, maybe a little more refined, even when it comes to just the songwriting. I don’t know, maybe I just got a little more perspective since I wrote those songs, and even some of these songs that are on the record are from 2019 that I kind of unearthed. Just taking a little piece of whatever that idea was and taking what I’ve learned in the last little bit from recording and from collaborating with people. I also view this record as a continuation of some similar themes that were explored on the first record, but it’s still its own thing. It’s in the same world, just a little more refined.” 

Despite a career built around inhabiting other people’s stories, Wolfhard describes songwriting as the place where he feels most himself. While he can boast a pretty robust resume as an actor, director, and screenwriter, there’s something that feels unpretentious in not only his music, but the way he speaks about it. It feels less like I’m interviewing an actor who just so happens to also be a musician, and more like an artist who feels centered in having the opportunity to express himself on his own terms. 

“I think [songwriting] is the purest form of expression for me,” he says. “Or at least, it’s the most instant way of expressing myself. I feel like with acting, it’s something that is more nuanced in my connection to a character I’m playing, or a movie that I’m in, because also it’s like I’m just a part of a bigger story. Whereas this is kind of like I’m representing my own experience, my own personality. They’re just different, but there is something very nice and liberating about being able to take control of your own narrative a little bit. Just to be able to write about things that are that are happening to you, or even just stories that you think are funny or pop culture references that I want to mention because I think it’s fun. I would say it’s the ultimate freedom of expression for me.” 

But, that’s not to say that he’s not aware of the fact that listeners are likely coming to his music having already known him from somewhere else. In fact, he embraces that notion with gratitude. “I was very lucky to have an acting career that already gave me an audience, and my goal is to be able to write music that people hear and maybe have a different perspective, or if someone doesn’t even really know who I am as an actor, to be able to earn that. I work hard to show that this is something that I really care about, and I want it to reach people in a genuine way.” 

And while the end result of his hard work may be a sophomore album that manages to outdo its debut, for Wolfhard, this album represents a snapshot of where he is in this specific moment. “It’s hard for me to live in the moment, and I’m always trying to just go on to the next thing,” he reflects. “I think that’s the way that I defend myself in a lot of ways, or steal myself from feeling more difficult emotions. But, I feel like I’ve been so much more open in the last few years, and especially with this record, I just had the best time. Even in the sad moments or melancholy moments, there was so much fun, and so I hope I look back at this someday and only really remember that I just had a good time. And that’s what music is about. It’s about expressing yourself and getting something off your chest, but, to me, music is also about having fun.” 

Fire From the Hip is out July 10.