Friko – Still Around
Friko—the Chicago based band of vocalist/guitarist Niko Kapetan, drummer Bailey Minzenberger, guitarist Korgan Robb, and bassist David Fuller—release “Still Around,” the third single from their anticipated sophomore album, Something Worth Waiting For, out April 24th via ATO Records, and announce a massive headline tour across North America this fall. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 3rd at 10AM local time.
Steeped in hard-edged jangle pop, “Still Around” carries on the relentless momentum of past singles “Seven Degrees” and “Choo Choo,” which Stereogum described as a “playful, slightly frenetic [single] that reminds me a lot of the more whimsical moments in Modest Mouse’s early catalog.” Set in motion by textured guitar, rousing percussion, and hard-boiled optimism, Kapetan pierces the veil of existential dread on “Still Around” with poignant abandon as he sings, “There’s hope in every kill / Home in every hell / All is not a failure / You’re still around.”
With Something Worth Waiting For, Friko mined inspiration from their endless state of motion over the past two years, arriving at a body of work that speaks to a more existential form of movement. Recorded with producer John Congleton (a Grammy Award-winner known for his work with St. Vincent, Mannequin Pussy, Mogwai, and more) at his studio in Los Angeles, Something Worth Waiting For bears a heightened urgency that Friko partly attribute to a profound shift in their production process. And with the addition of Robb and Fuller to Friko’s lineup, Kapetan and Minzenberger found an ideal match for their viscerally attuned yet voraciously creative sensibilities.
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. Equal parts sonically extravagant and emotionally searing, Something Worth Waiting For ultimately locates a wildly elusive balance between the wide-eyed idealism of youth and the self-possessed grit of lived experience.
Next month, Friko will kick off a weeklong celebration in support of Something Worth Waiting For at Rough Trade’s iNDIEPLAZA Festival in New York City on Saturday, April 18th. They’ll follow that up on Sunday, April 19th, with an in-store performance at their beloved hometown Shuga Records–the first of several in-store performances across the Midwest. On Saturday, April 25th, Friko will headline Chicago’s Metro which is nearly sold-out. The band will then appear at WXPN’s NON-COMMvention on Thursday, May 5th, before heading overseas later this summer to play Fuji Rock, Haldern Pop, and more festivals.
Friko Tour Dates:
Sat. April 18 – New York, NY @ Rough Trade’s iNDIEPLAZA Festival at Rockefeller Center
Sun. April 19 – Chicago, IL @ Shuga Records [in-store]
Sat. April 25 – Chicago, IL @ Metro [Release Show] (tickets)
Tue. April 28 – Minneapolis, MN @ Electric Fetus [in-store]
Wed. April 29 – Madison, WI @ Strictly Discs [in-store]
Thu. April 30 – Milwaukee, WI @ Lilliput Records [in-store]
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
Tue. Sep. 8 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
Thu. Sep. 10 – Houston, TX @ Womh – Upstairs
Sat. Sep. 12 – Dallas, TX @ Rubber Gloves Patio
Mon. Sep. 14 – Denver, CO @ Marquis
Wed. Sep. 16 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
Fri. Sep. 18 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Sat. Sep. 19 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
Sun. Sep. 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Sid The Cat Auditorium
Mon. Sep. 21 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
Thu. Sep. 24 – Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall
Fri. Sep. 25 – Seattle, WA @ Baba Yaga
Sat. Sep. 26 – Vancouver, BC @ Fox Cabaret
Thu. Oct. 15 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry
Fri. Oct. 16 – Milwaukee, WI @ Vivarium
Sat. Oct. 17 – Detroit, MI @ The Loving Touch
Mon. Oct. 19 – Toronto, ON @ The Great Hall
Tue. Oct. 20 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz
Thu. Oct. 22 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
Fri. Oct. 23 – New York, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
Sat. Oct. 24 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
Mon. Oct. 26 – Washington, DC @ Atlantis
Tue. Oct. 27 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
Wed. Oct. 28 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Fri. Oct. 30 – Nashville, TN @ The Blue Room
Sat. Oct. 31 – Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar
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