Friko is the indie rock duo of vocalist/guitarist Niko Kapetan and drummer Bailey Minzenberger, who met in a music idea class in highschool. Kapetan began the venture in 2019 along with his childhood good friend and bassist Luke Stamos – who’s now not a member of the band however performed on their debut album, The place we’ve been, The place we go from right here, out on Friday – releasing Burnout Lovely, a set of 12 demos, that yr. The group showcased their musical chemistry on 2022’s Every time Eternally EP, cementing their place as a part of Chicago’s younger Hallogallo scene together with bands like Horsegirl and Lifeguard. Co-produced by Scott Tallarida, with extra manufacturing from Jack Henry, and mastered by Heba Kadry, Friko’s first full-length is a stirring and dynamic expression of their sound, balancing exhilarating freak-outs with moments of dreamy contemplation. That includes contributions from Free Vary’s Sofia Jensen and Finom’s Macie Stewart, the file is marked by a communal power that animates it simply when the songs veer into noisy, melancholy abstraction. “I’ll snicker, you’ll cry/ Our world inside a music,” Kapetan sings on ‘Till I’m With You’, his voice virtually breaking. The music is lonely, craving, but commits – just like the album as a complete – to framing music as a type of communion in itself.
We caught up with Friko for the most recent version of our Artist Highlight collection to speak about their journey as a band, their songwriting course of, the making of their debut album, and extra.
Do you thoughts speaking about how the 2 of you crossed handed and what your first impressions of one another have been?
Niko Kapetan: We went to highschool the identical highschool. We have been in a music idea class, however we didn’t speak in any respect. I graduated and went to Columbia, and after I began my yr, the engineer for this file requested me to play bass in Bailey’s band. I used to be doing that for some time, which was wonderful. My band I had with Luke from highschool was breaking apart – we have been a five-piece, everything-at-once form of band, and we wished to be easier, to be a three-piece, so we requested Bailey to play drums. The primary impression I had of you was intimated since you have been a hotshot drummer.
Bailey Minzenberger: [laughs] Oh my god.
NK: However as soon as we met, I knew you have been an sincere, down-to-earth, good individual.
BM: That’s actually humorous, listening to that was your preliminary first impression. I didn’t know you felt that manner. My first impression of Niko – I’ve a really clear reminiscence in my head of after Jack [Henry] had requested him to affix the band, I had been listening to your demos for a little bit bit and I actually cherished every little thing I’d heard to this point. I bear in mind for our first rehearsal, I simply have such a transparent picture of me strolling into Jack’s mother’s basement, and I used to be actually nervous as a result of we had by no means formally met earlier than. And I simply immediately appreciated you lot, you have been actually variety and enthusiastic about music. And you have been very quiet – loads quieter than now that we know one another higher.
NK: It was quite a lot of very long time creating friendship between us, and Jack, since you two have been shut for some time.
BM: Jack and I’ve recognized one another since pre-school, yeah.
What did you gravitate to in one another’s music, and the way did that appreciation change when you begined taking part in collectively?
NK: For, I used to be shocked the music you have been making was rather more affected person, and it nonetheless is now. Simply with the ability to sit within the music, and that’s one thing, even with newer stuff, I’m all the time attempting to work on. I’ve all the time simply gravitated in direction of pop-sunk songs, that tightened construction, however that persistence – and additionally musicianship, as a result of me and Luke by no means actually did any stuff with music at school. We have been all the time indifferent from that cool group of individuals and all the time considered them as, like, musicians musicians.
BM: It’s actually flattering that you just consider it in that manner. It’s fascinating as a result of I performed in a jazz band in highschool by way of the music program, and I performed in among the classical ensembles as effectively. however I all the time felt like I used to be taking part in catch-up as a result of I didn’t know methods to learn music and all people else round me did, so it was an enormous studying expertise. However as a result of I heard your music earlier than I met you, my draw to you was that I actually simply cherished the songs that you just have been writing, and I used to be additionally past impressed hat you had completed that every one your self. Niko did all of the Burnout Lovely demos, performed all of the devices, and it’s all house recorded. As soon as we began working collectively in Friko, your ferocity and pleasure and simply drive and keenness for music was actually lovely and very motivating for me. When Niko requested me to affix Friko, I had been taking part in drums for a yr or so, perhaps even shut to 2 years as a result of I studied drums for a really brief time frame in faculty. Finding out music academically didn’t actually work for me, and I noticed that after I had gone to varsity. I believe simply being in that surroundings in that point interval of my life, I simply wanted an enormous break from it. When I consider Friko to start with, it was what received me to like the drums once more and received me passionate about taking part in drums once more. I actually owe that to you and your kindness in letting me into that world.
For you, Bailey, outdoors of taking part in drums, what was it that didn’t give you the results you want in that inflexible tutorial surroundings that you just present in Friko? And for you, Niko, what about bringing different folks into your course of labored higher than doing quite a lot of it by yourself?
NK: Slowly going into not doing it myself positively added a magic to it that I don’t assume you will get when it’s simply you doing stuff, particularly when it led to us recording this file. Upon getting lots of people contributing stuff and individuals are really part of it, there may be extra of that untouchable magic you are feeling as a result of it’s coming from different folks’s hearts. What they’re bringing to the desk is intangible to you, so there’s extra magic and pleasure. I grew out of simply liking to make and write in Logic, that wasn’t as enjoyable to me anymore, so it made it enjoyable once more taking part in with different those who I actually get pleasure from taking part in with.
BM: There was quite a lot of worth within the rigidity of learning music for me, and I realized loads even in my transient time interval there. I’m actually grateful for every little thing that I used to be ready to take in, however like how I used to be describing what I used to be feeling in highschool, it did nonetheless form of really feel like that. I used to be in a jazz efficiency program, so I felt like a fish out of water, and it was actually good to push myself like that, however it was a form of rigidity – it was actually on the time of my life as effectively – that felt extra exhausting than energizing musically. I believe taking part in in a band comes with an inherent degree of rigidity since you all have to present as much as rehearsal on time and just remember to’re ready, but it surely feels completely different, not less than for me.There’s much more like ardour to faucet into each second, particularly with you and the best way that you just play and the best way that you just create. With the rigidity of being in a band or what’s anticipated of you, it’s like, I wish to present up for you, so there’s this exterior feeling of: I’m gonna follow, I’m gonna be certain that I do know every little thing. And due to that, I’m exhibiting up for myself too.
When it got here to following up Every time Eternally, was there a second the place you realized you working in direction of a debut album?
NK: Apart from once we scheduled the time to file the remainder of the file – which I suppose is variety o that however not likely – it was once we recorded the music ‘The place we’ve been’. That was when it felt like one thing that got here collectively in a really particular manner.
BM: I agree with that, too. I believe moreover, our recording strategy of the band has been fairly fragmented over time, entering into the studio when you may kind of factor. For the EP, quite a lot of that was 7am to 4am slots, simply working when you may – generally it was as soon as every week, after which it’s important to wait two weeks, so it’s form of all over. However for this file, we have been actually fortunate to have the ability to e book out seven straight days, so we have been all in a routine collectively of waking up pretty early; Niko and I’d seize espresso and tea, after which we might go to the studio and we’d be there all day. Being in that mindset repeatedly for every week straight, and all being in it collectively on the identical wavelength, that allowed it to cement itself for me, too, as a result of it was like, “This can be a factor that we’re doing collectively.” I really feel actually grateful for that. And I really feel actually grateful for the fragments, but it surely’s a special appreciation [laughs].
How a lot of the songwriting was completed once you went into the studio?
NK: Going into the file, at first, we simply had these 4 songs: ‘Crimson to Chrome’, ‘For Ella’, ‘Cardinal’, and one other extra upbeat music that didn’t make the file. We wished to file the songs and begin sending them out to people, so we did that. We didn’t even have an entire file when have been sending these 4 songs round, however we have been telling folks we’re frigging excited, this subsequent factor we’re gonna do is gonna be the factor. We felt like we have been coming right into a band on the time, despite the fact that we didn’t have all of the songs but.
BM: I believe once we went into the studio, we had like 98% of the songs completed, however once we went in, we thought we had 100% of the songs completed. Initially, ‘The place we’ve been’ had a completely different ending, within the second now the place it opens up and there’s an enormous vocal chorus – when it received to that time, we might all devolve into chaos and make noise, after which it might go into the standard outro. We tried to file it that manner, and it simply wasn’t feeling proper. Scott Tallarida referred to as us into the management room, like, “Hey guys, this isn’t working, the music’s not completed.” And that was a very loopy factor to listen to, since you’re actually within the studio monitoring this one explicit factor. We talked about it for a little bit bit, and I believe we perhaps spent lower than 5 minutes speaking about it, as a result of my perception is that, when you’ve got an concept and it’s contemporary, particularly if everybody’s already feeling a little bit downtrodden, it’s best to simply go and do it with out considering an excessive amount of. I really feel like what you’re attempting to entry by practising is you could ultimately get to a degree the place you can play expressively with out considering. So we talked about it and intentionally didn’t follow the brand new association that we had give you, after which we went in and recorded the music, and that first take ended up being what you hear on the file. It’s received the dwell vocal, dwell bass, dwell drums, and dwell guitar, and it’s received a bunch of overdubs as effectively, however the base of the music is that preliminary new association alternative. It’s all the time good to embrace change, and I believe quite a lot of magic can come from it.
NK: That may be a very good factor to do for the second file – depart little holes for once we file to protect that magic, perhaps.
The very first thing that struck me concerning the album is its communal focus – that “we” within the title extends to most of the songs, and those which are the exception are typically extra introspective and piano-led. Lyrically, do you’ve a way of the topic or the angle of a music and the way that transforms from one thing private to one thing communal?
KP: That’s actually fascinating. I hadn’t actually considered it that a lot, however the two piano songs are positively probably the most “I”-forward songs. Topic-wise I’ll usually go off one thing I’m saying, the main focus line of the music. ‘The place we’ve been’ began off with “And your tooth damage greater than the day earlier than/ It’s time to get one other job,” which was very private for me. My first yr of school, I had horrible knowledge tooth points, and ever since I dropped out of school I’ve been in between jobs. However that music significantly had this, like, “This must really feel like an even bigger music.” I wished it to really feel like that is for all of us in some sort of manner. If you get to a music like ‘Till I’m With You Once more’, it seems like a easy youngsters’s music; the world must be actually small and one individual’s focus. However that’s positively not a aware factor. I all the time like big-sounding songs that additionally really feel intimate.
How self-conscious are you once you’re writing about one thing private? Do you are feeling the necessity to step again and study what it’s you’re expressing?
NK: Yeah, I really feel like it’s virtually like treating a music like an individual. No one desires a music that’s tremendous self-loathing. All one of the best songs, in my view, and what I see folks round me listening to, there’s quite a lot of grievances and deep sorrow, however there’s the sunshine in it. You’ll be able to’t be with out that in a music. Even with unhappy songs, should you finish it and you don’t supply that little little bit of hope, it feels empty.
Is the sensation of the music one thing you speak about as a band as a way to obtain that?
NK: Lots of occasions, the lyrics are completed once we begin arranging it. Particularly these days, Bailey may have some enter on lyrics, we’ll simply form of some enter on lyrics, and it simply helps me take into consideration the place it could possibly go and the place it ought to go. However with this file, it occurred over such an extended time frame that none of it was actually aware. It’s a kind of issues I positively don’t have an excessive amount of of an evidence for.
BM: I don’t assume we actually speak about it an excessive amount of as a band, by way of, “That is the sensation I’m going for.” Oftentimes all of us simply naturally attempt to really feel it out as we’re taking part in issues for the primary time, and generally I’ll cycle by way of 4 or 5 completely different drum components till one thing begins to really feel proper. However there’s an preliminary emotion or feeling that you just’ll get once you hear a music for the primary time, and I really feel prefer it’s about discovering the best way to specific that feeling in a drum half, mixed with every little thing that you just’re bringing ahead. It feels form of like an unstated factor. I do loosely bear in mind you speaking about ‘Till I’m With You Once more’, the youngsters’s music side of it, and that was partially why we determined to make use of cowbells and stuff. However the best way that you just really feel a few music that you just’ve written is of course going to be completely different than how an exterior listener interprets it.
NK: And even inside the band, all of us have completely different interpretations of a music. even inside the band, like all of us completely different interpretations of the music.
Bailey, do you are feeling like you want to have that robust preliminary feeling locked in earlier than you check out completely different drum oarts?
BM: Throughout the board, I all the time have actually robust emotions about the entire songs. There’s a very nice development that now we have going the place each time Niko performs us a brand new music, I cry [laughs]. I simply really feel very touched by every little thing. Additionally, that doesn’t imply inherent disappointment, it’s simply feeling actually linked to it and being actually moved by it. From the very starting, there’s often quite a lot of feelings, and after I’m taking part in one thing, it isn’t essentially like, “I’m taking part in to anger proper now or I’m taking part in to disappointment. It’s arduous to seek out the phrases for it, as a result of after I really feel actually linked to a music, even when it’s one thing that’s happier, I are likely to really feel this blanket melancholy. And I like that feeling; it’s not essentially disappointment, but it surely does really feel heavier. I believe once we’re initially planning stuff, I’m form of current in that house; once we write, we are likely to loop issues and exist in an area collectively for a very long time. It’s actually meditative. That helps, too, to simply sit within the feeling, sit inside the music collectively and play and experiment.
NK: A lot of it’s technical – I really feel like we attempt to use our data of how music ought to work. The sensation will not be all the time there; the truth is, it’s not there most likely half the time, and it’s no person’s fault, as a result of it’s important to put in that work to piece every little thing collectively in a technical technique to get again to that.
BM: That’s a very good level. ‘Chemical’ might be probably the most heavy we’ve ever gotten about any form of songwriting. We have been in Minneapolis on the time, we have been staying at a good friend’s place. There was a follow house connected, and we had a whole day earlier than we needed to play that night, so we determined to work on that music. The whole music was there already, principally, however we have been attempting to suit it into the band. I believe we most likely spent like three hours simply speaking about, “What number of bars ought to this part be? What number of bars ought to that part be?” We have been attempting all these completely different drum patterns to attempt to maintain it fascinating. That was most likely probably the most technical we’ve gotten with something, however that was additionally actually enjoyable. That music is so quick and so energetic that even when it’s important to get a little bit bit technical about one thing, you may really feel quite a lot of fireplace from that, too. I believe that’s one of many many issues that I actually love about this band, too, is it’s stretching that tutorial muscle and desirous about issues that manner with out the concern of elevating my hand in school; nonetheless attending to discover these issues and study music idea, however in a manner that’s very affected person.
May you share one factor that evokes you about one another, be it on a musical or private degree?
NK: Musically, it’s Bailey’s love for doing many various issues. We work utterly in a different way that manner, as a result of I do one factor, creatively; this venture was form of the one factor. However Bailey can collaborate with different folks and play every little thing. That’s all the time been one thing that’s been extremely inspiring. And as an individual, I believe it’s simply your composure and persistence and kindness. It’s fixed and actual. I’m the least affected person individual, so I say that loads, as a result of that must be weighed out.
BM: Thanks. I believe with songwriting, for so long as I’ve recognized you – Niko and I’ve now been residing collectively for about three years – it’s simply one thing that’s a part of your life continuously. You reside and breathe that, and it’s a very lovely factor to be round. I really feel actually fortunate, as a result of if I’m strolling previous you within the kitchen or one thing, I get to hearken to what you’re singing. You’ve all the time been continuously creating, and I’m actually impressed by that, as a result of it may be tough to maintain up with. Simply seeing do it so usually offers me hope. After which personally, I like how foolish and lighthearted you’re. Generally I can get I can get tremendous critical about issues or actually nervous, and you can be making all people snicker and it helps calm me down loads. You’re actually good at lifting folks in that manner.
NK: Thanks. I believe generally now we have to remind one another once we do stuff that it’s – I like the phrase “It’s simply music,” as a result of it’s so counter-intuitive. It’s clearly not, however once you take issues too critically, it’s like, we’re not medical doctors. It’s a must to have some lightness of coronary heart to even carry out or make music. When you’re taking it utterly critically on a regular basis, it’s not going to work.
BM: Yeah, you’re going to drive your self loopy.
This interview has been edited and condensed for readability and size.
Friko’s The place we’ve been, the place we go from right here is out February 16 through ATO Data.