Member Since: 03/10/2007
Band Members:
Influences: Bright Eyes, Mark Ely, Radiohead, Cold War Kids, The Cooper Temple Clause, Kurt Cobain, The Smiths, The Arcade Fire, The Smashing Pumpkins, Pulp, Sonic Youth...... our surroundings and anybody who has had an impact on us.
Sounds Like:
"If Songs for Friends were compared to colours, they would be all the shades of the rainbow. If they were compared to the weather, they would be the clouds, the sun and the rain all at the same time. Producing what could be most aptly described as the music of schizophrenics, this emerging band are a collection of eclectic vocals, soul searching lyrics and aggressive instruments, and their sound is a treasure waiting to be unearthed.
The band consists of five old friends from the South West, and having grown up together their sound is heavy with nostalgia. The careful vocals and delicate riffs are a reminder of your teenaged years, taking you back to days spent lying on your bed and wishing you were somewhere else. Their music is a trip down memory lane almost as nostalgic as Dawson's Creek or Sesame Street.
This impression is attained from one song in particular, Growing Pains. The vocals of lead singer James MacLucas drift between lonesome and bitter, aided by the contrast of the gentle piano and violin played by Will Scott and the vibrant jamming of bassist Antonio Tzikas and drummer Miles Hastings.Then there are the backing shouts of guitarist Jon-Paul Beaumont, adding angry undertones that make the track instantly relatable to anyone who had ever been mildly pissed off as a teenager. And with that Songs for Friends mission becomes clear; they are trying to relate to the world.
With the collective age of 20, the band have mastered the art of moody music with the precision of musical veterans, with songs such as I Cannot Recall and Invisable Onlookers teaming thoughtful lyrics and dreamlike melodies with outbursts of vitality and aggression. Such a mixture is both unexpected and confusing, so much so that it almost makes you wonder why it works. Yet the conflicting sentiments add to the bands appeal, because there is no better music for a confused and mixed up audience than a confused and mixed up sound. Except maybe prozac or valium, but why turn to drugs when you have these songs for friends."
Rebecca Parnell - University of Westminster
Record Label: unsigned
Type of Label: Unsigned