Friko – Choo Choo
Friko—the Chicago based band of vocalist/guitarist Niko Kapetan, drummer Bailey Minzenberger, guitarist Korgan Robb, and bassist David Fuller—release “Choo Choo,” the second single/video from their anticipated sophomore album, Something Worth Waiting For, out April 24th via ATO Records.
Following “Seven Degrees,” which The Needle Drop says is “a 70s-era ballad, complete with acoustic guitars, airy harmonies, and a big rock sound that crashes in at the end,” “Choo Choo” is a hit of pure unbridled energy with gang-vocals. The track rides the line between sublimely fun and unabashedly sincere as Friko shed light on the strangeness of the vagabond life. “I’ve always had a thing with the magic of trains, and when I was writing that song I started singing ‘choo choo’ and it made me laugh,” Kapetan recalls. “It always feels good to play live, with all the slowdowns and speed-ups, but it’s also a very emotional homage to the band and how they feel like home to me.”
“There’s nothing light-hearted about trains,” continues Kapetan. “They have moved us for hundreds of years, and probably will for hundreds more. Heavy, chugging things that carry far more human weight than any of us could ever bear. Life reveals itself in a seat by the window, watching carousels go by.” The accompanying video, directed by Anastasiya “Stas” Slyvka, was filmed on Chicago Transit Authority (CTA).
Something Worth Waiting For marks the first Friko release to feature Robb and Fuller, who joined the band in the midst of their globe-spanning tour in support of their full-length debut—an endeavor that included headlining shows all over North America, England, Europe, and Asia (and achieving remarkable success in Japan), as well as touring with seminal alt-rock acts like The Flaming Lips and Modest Mouse. And with the expansion of their lineup, Kapetan and Minzenberger found an ideal match for their viscerally attuned yet voraciously creative sensibilities.
As they assembled songs for the new album, they mined inspiration from their constant activity over the past two years, arriving at a body of work that speaks to a more existential form of movement. “If the general theme of the record is transit, then the title gets at the idea of always moving toward something you never quite seem to reach,” says Kapetan. “That might sound pessimistic, but maybe the reaching isn’t necessarily the point,” Minzenberger adds. “I think life is meant to bring new experiences so that your world is ever-expanding, and not about constantly striving to achieve one particular thing.”
Produced by Grammy-award winner John Congleton (St. Vincent, Mannequin Pussy, Mogwai, Angel Olsen) and recorded at his Los Angeles studio, Something Worth Waiting For is equal parts sonically extravagant and emotionally searing. In the making of their sophomore full-length, the band gained a powerful new clarity on their purpose and vision while embracing an even bolder sense of abandon, exploring everything from noise-rock to avant-garde classical to ’70s-era symphonic balladry.
Friko will celebrate the release of Something Worth Waiting For with a hometown headline show at Chicago’s Metro. They’ve also added more dates across the globe including WXPN’s NON-COMMvention in Philadelphia, Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, Haldern Pop Festival in Germany, and more to come.
Friko Tour Dates:
Sat. April 25 – Chicago, IL @ Metro [Release Show] (tickets)
Thu. May 5 – Philadelphia, PA @ WXPN NON-COMMvention
Sun. July 26 – Tokyo, JP @ Fuji Rock Festival
Thu. Aug. 6 – Haldern-Rees, DE @ Haldern Pop Festival
Sat. Aug. 8 – Sicily, IT @ Ypsigrock Festival
Wed. Aug. 12–Sat. Aug. 15 – Parades De Coura, PT @ Parades De Coura Festival
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