Rising Chicago indie rock band Friko have just released their first proper album Where we’ve been, Where we go from here on ATO Records, and if you love big, catchy, mid 2000s-style indie rock, I highly recommend checking this one out. You can read my review of the album in Notable Releases, and band members Niko Kapetan and Bailey Minzenberger have also broken down 10 of the most major influences behind the album. It includes some 2000s indie rock (Modest Mouse, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Microphones, mewithoutYou), as well as some legends that inspired 2000s indie in the first place (The Beach Boys, Leonard Cohen) and some more recent artists that are cut from a similar cloth (Mitski, Lomelda). Niko and Bailey gave commentary on each pick, and it’s a very cool read.
Niko’s picks:
The Glow Pt. 2 – The Microphones
The way Phil Elverum thinks about songwriting and recording is so inspiring to us. No other albums sounds like this and it’s equally experimental and “cool” as it is heart wrenching and emotional. Also his use of distorted bass on this record is what made us want to really lean into that sound as well.
Pet Sounds – The Beach Boys
This record is a perfect example of experimental recording combined with perfect songs. Every song is crafted with such care, both in structure and arrangement, and I don’t think anyone has made something this musically complex that can also appeal to people 7-70 years of age. All the little random sounds and shouts kept on the recordings was a huge inspiration when making Where we’ve been, Where we go from here, we wanted to have a lot of that scattered throughout. I’ve also been a big fan of this record since I was a kid. Because of that, whenever I listen to it now it makes me feel that youthfulness again that makes me want to create. In my mind this record is in the same place feeling wise as any Studio Ghibli (Hiyao Miyazaki movie) which is also why I love it.
Bury Me At Makeout Creek – Mitski
I became a Mitski fan when I was in high school and heard Be The Cowboy for the first time. But after going through her whole discography, the album that stuck with me most was this one. Honestly it could’ve been any of her records but this one just has my favorite songs of hers on it. Mitski’s creative voice is so direct and real that if you’re looking for it to get through to you IT WILL. Also “Class of 2013” live on Audiotree is one of my favorite performances ever.
The Lonesome Crowded West – Modest Mouse
This record has become the soundtrack to my early 20’s, mostly because I tried to get into it many times before that, but it never hit until I was 20 or so. Musically, no other album sounds like this, and the constant dynamic changes combined with poetic lyricism was a huge influence for Where we’ve been, Where we go from here. My personal favorite from this record and one that will always make me cry is Bankrupt On Selling.
Songs of Leonard Cohen – Leonard Cohen
Personally when I’m writing, sometimes I need a reminder to just sit in the music and let everything move around me. That’s kind of what I’ve gotten from Leonard Cohen over the years. There’s a certain timelessness to the sound of his voice and music that I always aim for when writing songs. Suzanne will never cease to make me feel at ease, and So along Marianne is just the epitome of a youthful, genuine folk song.
Glassworks – Phillip Glass
Piano music is a huge influence for us as a band, and nothing hits more for me than Glassworks. The fact that it works like pop music for piano was a revelation for me, especially in writing For Ella. You can bring that beauty of classical music to pop music if done right. I also recently saw a performance of a Phillip Glass symphony at the CSO, and afterwards I saw him down on the main floor as his team was rushing him into an elevator. I told him I loved him as he was passing by but he did not hear me 🙁
Bailey’s picks:
Fantasize Your Ghost – Finom
I’ve listened to this album so many times that the CD has started to skip… Finom offers such a creative take on grit meeting beauty. I have played along to this album many times, both for fun and to push myself as a player. Matt Carroll’s drumming is lyrical and creative; every note that he plays has intention, gracefully propelling//supporting each song. Listening to a drummer that strikes the balance of melody and foundation so well has been an inspiration for me, and I try to bear that feeling in mind while writing with Friko. There is a lot to love about this record, and I feel lucky to have a band like Finom in Chicago.
Thx – Lomelda
This record was my introduction to Lomelda back in 2017, and I’ve been a consistent listener since then. Hannah Read’s songwriting is patient and narrative, a feeling that the instrumentation/tonality of this record beautifully matches. I’ve played along with this record many times, mostly in moments when I want to play meditatively. The patience and deep-feeling of this record are gifts that I try to carry with me while writing and playing with Friko.
Fever to Tell – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Niko showed me the Yeah Yeah Yeahs a few years ago, and I have loved this record ever since. The sound of ‘Fever to Tell’ was a direct influence for “Where we’ve been, Where we go from here” in its live sound. It is direct, expressive, and cutting. This record is heavy and impactful, but also danceable and beautiful; this meeting of energies has been really influential in the way I think about what ‘grittier’ music can be. Brian Chase’s drumming is playful and vocal. The drum part on ‘Maps’ is iconic, and is an amazing example of how much the drums can impact the feeling/trajectory of a song. I love the way that everyone in the band plays off of each other; it feels like you are sitting inside of each moment with them through and through.
Catch for us the Foxes – mewithoutYou
mewithoutYou was one of my favorite bands in middle school; this was around the time I started playing drums. Playing along to their records served as an additional teacher for me, not only in how to play technically, but also how to play emotionally. I think this band was one of my first introductions to the drums as a storyteller. When revisiting their records (this one in particular), I can hear the influence on my playing almost immediately. It is so fascinating to me how alive our influences remain within us, even over a decade later, even as my primary listening choices have changed. I can see this record in “Where we’ve been, Where we go from here”, particularly in ‘Crashing Through’ and ‘Chemical’. I carry a lot of gratitude for what this band has taught me.
