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Friend Of A Friend On Sounds Of Chicago
Hosted by Mark Wengelewski
Biography:
Chicago-based duo Friend of a Friend only began well into 2020 but the self-described “cinematic pop” two-piece has already garnered over 2 million streams on Spotify, toured Europe three times, and just toured the East Coast for their official showcases at New Colossus Festival in NYC. To celebrate and to make the most of their extended time on the road, now down at SXSW this week (for unofficial showcases), they just released their sophomore album, the atmospheric but driving and cathartic album FACILITIES produced by M83’s Jordan Lawlor.
The two artists behind the band, Claire Molek and Jason Savsani, describe their sound as “Portishead, M83, The Kills, and Jose Gonzalez having a baby in the desert during the end of your favorite movie.” Both the M83 comparison and desert location are especially appropriate after working with Lawlor at his Joshua Tree studio, who occasionally joins the band on stage live, including recently at New Colossus.
Rolling Stone (Español) recommended their first single “Always on Time” and Wonderland Magazine wrote the duo blends in “intimate, folk sounds and transcend listeners into an immerse and experiential experience.” Spotify shared “HLS” on the editorial playlist “Notable Releases” and Chicago Public Radio (WBEZ) shared their single “The Man That Loves Me,” picking up on the group’s “cinematic vibes.”
True to their own description, their music sounds like being in the desert. FACILITIES sounds psychedelic, dramatic, and a touch melancholic all at once. The duo pulls together post-rock soundscapes, flamenco guitars, often a trip-hop feel, and an art-rock sense of execution across the record’s 12 tracks. Molek and Savsani relied on Lawlor’s strengths as a producer, who helped to expand the band’s sonic space after their more intimate-sounding 2022 debut In Arms that the band recorded on tape.
Under the Radar shared their album’s last single “everyplane,” writing, “Molek and Savsani tap into an immersive blend of sounds, knit together with hypnotic acoustic tones and steady marching percussion.” Adding to the figurative language of film, the magazine continued to say, “the production renders the track in cinematic detail” and they noted “the dramatic keys and synths take to the forefront in its climactic finale.”
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Music:
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Links:
Official: https://www.friendofafriendmusic.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendofafriendband