Nashville, Tennessee based Heavy Rock duo Friendship Commanders published the official video for the track “Still Life” taken from their upcoming album, “Mass,” set to release on September 29th, 2023. Watch the video through the YouTube player below:
Produced by Friendship Commanders & Kurt Ballou.
Recorded and mixed by Kurt Ballou at GodCity, Salem MA.
Mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege.
The project is a concept record about memory, language, and the state of Massachusetts, a place where songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Buick Audra spent time as an adolescent and younger adult. The album outlines the story of leaving a place after becoming a social outcast, after failing to conform. The singles are revealing the details of that narrative one song at a time. “Still Life” echoes what Buick was told when she spoke up about the imbalances she witnessed and experienced firsthand right within the Boston music community.
On “Still Life” Buick Audra says: “Writing Still Life was almost like a fever dream. At first, I wasn’t even sure what the words meant, but then I realized they were a compilation of things people in Boston had said to me at one point or another or modeled in their non-response. Substance use problems were invisible unless they needed to be used to explain someone’stransgressions, verbal or physical. Said transgressions were never addressed, people were not held accountable, and raising any issues was seen as unpleasant, or even rude. Meanwhile, my own injuries? I was essentially told to ‘walk them off,’ and to do so quietly. It was like a time without any language around mental health, boundaries, or shades of grey. The urgency of the music reflects how moving through those
expectations felt.”
“Still Life” follows the album’s recent pre-release singles “Vampire” and “High Sun” which are on all streaming platforms now. “High Sun,” describes the process of becoming a scapegoat while “Vampire” sets a boundary with those who took more than they gave, and who preyed on the vulnerabilities of others to boost their own outsized egos.
Guitarist/vocalist Buick Audra and drummer/bassist Jerry Roe co-produced “Mass” with Kurt Ballou (Converge), who recorded and mixed at his GodCity studio in Salem, Massachusetts. This decision was intentional, and the product bears the impact of the in-person collaboration, sonically and energetically. This project marks their third year of working with Ballou who has mixed everything they’ve released since their 2020 EP, “Hold On To Yourself.” “Mass” will be accompanied by a memoir in essays by Buick Audra.
Stream “Still Life” here: https://onerpm.link/StillLife
Pre-Order “Mass” vinyl & book on Bandcamp: https://friendshipcommanders.bandcamp.com/album/mass
Pre-save “Mass,” out September 29, 2023 here: https://onerpm.link/MASS
Tracklist:
01. Blue
02. Fail
03. High Sun
04. Vampire
05. Still Life
06. We Were Here
07. Distortion
08. A Retraction
09. Move
10. Dissonance
Friendship Commanders will be making the following North American appearances this fall. Tickets for all upcoming shows can be found HERE.
Friendship Commanders Tour Dates:
10.01 – Gainesville, GA @ Blackstrap Rock Hall
10.05 – Asheville, NC @ The Odd
10.06 – Raleigh, NC @ Ruby Deluxe
10.07 – Richmond, VA @ Get Tight Lounge
10.08 – Charleston, SC @ Tin Roof
10.11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Century
10.12 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Squirrel Hill Sports Bar
10.13 – Baltimore, MD @ The Undercroft
10.14 – West Akron, OH @ Buzzbin
10.15 – Kalamazoo, MI @ The Run Off
10.20 – Catskill, NY @ The Avalon Lounge
10.21 – Allston, MA @ O’Brien’s
10.23 – Detroit, MI @ The Old Miami
10.25 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s
11.01 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The DLC
11.02 – Reno, NV @ Alturas Bar
11.03 – Portland, OR @ Azoth Space
11.04 – Vancouver, BC @ Black Lab
11.05 – Seattle, WA @ Funhouse
11.08 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill
11.10 – Long Beach, CA @ Supply & Demand
11.11 – Palmdale, CA @ Transplants Brewing Co.
11.12 – San Diego, CA @ Til-Two Club
11.14 – Santa Fe, NM @ Tumbleroot
11.15 – Tempe, AZ @ Yucca Tap Room
11.17 – Houston, TX @ Kickback Bar
11.25 – Youngstown, OH @ Westside Bowl
Lineup:
Buick Audra / Guitar and Vocals
Jerry Roe / Drums and Bass
