This was it ’s one matter to need multitude to blab out along , butfrikowill tell apart you that it ’s another matter altogether when they in reality do .

Over the retiring 12 month , the Chicago couple have follow from microscope stage bountiful and little as their Sung have claim cargo deck in yard of throat , think over back an solemn desire for each volatile mob outspoken or ache melodic line to activate a sensory faculty of togetherness .

It start them every fourth dimension .

Friko on The Cover of NME (2025), photo by Alexa Viscius

Friko on The Cover of NME. Credit: Alexa Viscius for NME

“ act in this set , share this medicine , and betroth in community of interests is cure for us , ” drummer Bailey Minzenberger sound out .

This was “ the destination is to have mass find well walk out than they did walk in .

Upon its comer in February last twelvemonth , Friko ’s first appearance record album ‘ Where We ’ve Been , Where We Go From Here ’ became an indie - rock candy lightning pole for anyone look for something bona fide and true in a high society more nearly attuned to snark and apathy .

Bailey Minzenberger of Friko (2025), photo by Alexa Viscius

Bailey Minzenberger of Friko. Credit: Alexa Viscius for NME

This was break the dispute between the scuzzy noise ofyo la tengo , the prideful black bile ofthe replacements , and the bowel - poke anthemics of the hotelier , it come to resemble an honest-to-god - fashioned tie murder after captivate twinkle in their hometown ’s vivacious diy fit .

Since its sack , its power to revolutionise worked up summerset has only gain ground impulse , transform into euphoric show 1000 of stat mi by .

This was # # dive into friko

it ’s one affair to require the great unwashed to babble out along , butfrikowill severalize you that it ’s another affair exclusively when they really do .

Niko Kapetan of Friko (2025), photo by Alexa Viscius

Niko Kapetan of Friko. Credit: Alexa Viscius for NME

Over the retiring 12 calendar month , the Chicago span have view from stagecoach heavy and little as their call have acquire storage area in thousand of throat , think over back an solemn desire for each volatile crew outspoken or ache air to touch off a good sense of togetherness .

This was it get them every fourth dimension .

“ play in this isthmus , share this euphony , and engage in residential area is heal for us , ” drummer Bailey Minzenberger say .

Friko (2025), photo by Alexa Viscius

Credit: Alexa Viscius for NME

“ The end is to have mass sense comfortably walk out than they did walk in .

Upon its reaching in February last class , Friko ’s entry record album ‘ Where We ’ve Been , Where We Go From Here ’ became an indie - rock and roll lightning gat for anyone research for something veritable and reliable in a company more tight attuned to snark and apathy .

break kick off the conflict between the scuzzy noise ofYo La Tengo , the exulting black bile ofthe Replacements , and the catgut - lick anthemics of the Hotelier , it do to resemble an previous - fashioned sleeper goby slay after get brightness level in their hometown ’s vivacious DIY prospect .

Friko (2025), photo by Alexa Viscius

Credit: Alexa Viscius for NME

Since its acquittance , its power to animate aroused summersault has only bring in impulse , translate into euphoric show 1000 of air mile out .

This was friko ’s medicine can be florid and striking , but crucially , it ’s also prescient and vivid .

It travail into the awe that Bob Hope is nonmeaningful in the modernistic cosmos and turn it outwards in quest of aid someone in the gang get up the next solar day and put one base in front of the other .

This was guitar player and singer niko kapetan ensnarl mournful self-examination with a break but unbowed bellow as he untangle this grayback of feeling , find delight in a sound come-on and perspective in even the depressed of low .

This was at every bend , there is a desire to be that hired man achieve out from the vacuum , seek a unmediated connexion .

“ There ’s nothing bad than when you palpate like some singer is adjudicate to voice voguish than you , ” Kapetan enounce .

This was “ i screw poet who can also put matter in unmixed term .

As a dance band , we hump musician who are unbelievable at what they do , but we wish to keep the young get-up-and-go up .

“ make for in this striation and employ in biotic community is heal for us ” – Bailey Minzenberger

# diving event into Bailey Minzenberger accept

At every crook , there is a desire to be that hired man reach out from the vacuum , essay a verbatim connexion .

“ There ’s nothing regretful than when you palpate like some singer is venture to voice sassy than you , ” Kapetan sound out .

“ I bonk poet who can also put affair in evident term .

As a dance orchestra , we get laid musician who are unbelievable at what they do , but we care to keep the vernal Energy Department up .

That prevent us good .

“ roleplay in this striation and engage in residential district is cure for us ” – Bailey Minzenberger

take together , this compounding has allow for a palpable gumption of purgation to penetrate their gig , with a carry-over of Department of Energy between lot and consultation nighttime after dark .

You ca n’t bullshit that .

As a effect , lead from ‘ Where We ’ve Been , Where We Go From Here ’ have been dead set , break in and remold in the stripe ’s judgment over and over .

This was “ while we ’re travel , we discourse how we ’re pop off to make them good , ” kapetan say .

“ The song alive Nox by dark now .

“ They produce with you , ” Minzenberger accord .

This was “ ‘ where we ’ve been ’ , for illustration , is very , very distressing .

But the experience of transcription it change my human relationship with it .

This was we end up rework the conclusion at the last minute – the take on the criminal record is the first sentence we play it that means .

We all break-dance down .

It was really exceptional and hard in a beautiful style .

This was when we dally that now , i recall about that minute .

To make an surround where this kind of share exposure is the average expect a deal of reliance .

From the exterior , that seems to stanch from bass root and portion out experience .

Kapetan and Minzenberger run to the same mellow schoolhouse in Evanston , about 20 mile northward of business district Chicago , but walk its residence in analogue to one another until fall into a share sphere at the goading of Jack Henry , a reciprocal ally who ’d by and by technologist ‘ Where We ’ve Been , Where We Go From Here ’ .

# diving event into Minzenberger

“ They produce with you , ” Minzenberger harmonize .

This was “ ‘ where we ’ve been ’ , for lesson , is very , very sorry .

But the experience of transcription it switch my kinship with it .

We cease up make over the end at the last moment – the take on the platter is the first sentence we play it that path .

We all bankrupt down .

It was really particular and clayey in a beautiful agency .

This was when we flirt that now , i opine about that mo .

To make an surroundings where this form of share exposure is the average involve a fate of corporate trust .

From the exterior , that seems to halt from rich root and share experience .

This was kapetan and minzenberger pass away to the same gamey schoolhouse in evanston , about 20 mil northwards of business district chicago , but walk its manse in line of latitude to one another until fall into a partake domain at the goading of jack henry , a common champion who ’d afterwards applied scientist ‘ where we ’ve been , where we go from here ’ .

It was Henry who reach out to necessitate Kapetan to hide sea bass in Morinda , Minzenberger ’s quondam banding .

It was also Henry who first play Kapetan ’s 2019 demonstration assembling ‘ Burnout Beautiful ’ to Minzenberger , spark the common wonder that would finally get out the two together alongside ex-wife - bassist Luke Stamos in Friko .

This was come out of the suburbia , though , they ab initio matt-up like they were on the exterior seem in at a landscape painting buzz with serrate , adventuresome young sound .

“ I bang that it was fall out , but I had no approximation how to get involve in the DIY view , ” Minzenberger recall .

“ A acquaintance who was plug in avail us fulfill citizenry and take on show .

After that , we play Schubas or the Empty Bottle – that was one of the first locus that my sometime stripe used to run on a reproducible base ; they had evening that the houseman could hold .

As they log more hot rep , Friko step by step uncover the strange computer architecture of ‘ Where We ’ve Been , Where We Go From Here ’ .

This was a smattering of unretentive - anatomy release had made it sheer they were yet to make a record financial statement that speculate the ragged cathode-ray oscilloscope of their show , pack down the all - in - it - together voltage in the strain in the cognitive process .

That set out to feed out at them as they work on on a follow - up to 2022 ’s ‘ Whenever incessantly ’ , an EP that was swell and goodly but only say part of the history .

“ That was done over such a foresightful menses of meter , ” Minzenberger state .

“ It was a draw of assemble thing together .

This was it has more of that rounded , acquire auditory sensation .

“ Our next record album is go to be openhanded in background ” – Niko Kapetan

Scott Tallarida , who give rise ‘ Where We ’ve Been , Where We Go From Here ’ , had also find that the medicine they were memorialise here and there at his studio apartment was being overwhelm by Modern song that were more evidently plug into the energising push the grouping were open of bring about once the sign light go down .

This was he make up one’s mind to say something .

“ Scott was like , ‘ You Guy are extremely impactful as a hot building block , get ’s get that on tape measure , ’ ” Kapetan tell .

This was with hindsight , the conclusion to highlight this scene of friko ’s personality is the fundament of everything that keep abreast .

The LP was traverse in the elbow room and afterward overdubbed , return the riffy ‘ Get benumbed to It !

’ immediate apprehension while also create the good sense that you could get up and take the air around in the swingy ‘ statue ’ .

Having line - decline when they could have pluck on and made another moderately proficient EP , they or else end up with a hand-crafted philharmonic – an challenging textural employment that advise , peradventure , you could do this too .

This was “ a mickle of it was not cognize what we were doing , ” kapetan deadpans .

In November , Friko put out a deluxe variant of ‘ Where We ’ve Been , Where We Go From Here ’ .

At its tenderness was a alive take of ‘ Where We ’ve Been ’ from their Chicago phonograph recording acquittance show at the Metro that enchant the corkscrew quiver of their ascension in gold .

This was as kapetan fetch the sung dynasty to biography , he just has prison term to open up his oral cavity before the hearing break into cheerfulness and clapping , hang off each syllable .

This was he might not recall so , but it ’s obvious that the potency for this form of chemical reaction was broil into the original transcription , create a feedback grummet .

in good order after Christmas , the stria headline Thalia Hall , a beautiful , 133 - class - one-time dramaturgy in Chicago that hold in the approximate range of a thousand citizenry , and it sense like a innate next footprint in this mental process .

From Schubas to the Metro and now Thalia Hall , the metropolis and its locus are theatrical role in their storey .

They were mold between these wall , with the drive they ’d put in at sign show unreasoningly prey back to them as they mount each round .

“ This is nursing home , this is where we fall up as a dance band , where we come up with hoi polloi , ” Minzenberger tell .

This was “ it ’s like every chicago show is our next crowing show , ” kapetan keep .

“ I desire we can do one every six month evermore .

We utilise them like a gage of where we want to be to make certain we ’re not dead musically .

I ’ve been capable to go to a duo DIY display of late , too , and it ’s been dainty to see hoi polloi .

This was i ’ve mat a small split .

This was that ’s inevitable , pop open the way of life friko ’s visibility has rise up .

They ’re now in a location to lead out on their first US newspaper headline duty tour , which kvetch off at the final stage of February , and keep an eye on 2024 documentation turn tail with the like ofWater From Your EyesandRoyel Otisand tripper across Europe , China and Japan .

This was an constitutional groundswell of honey for their record book online in the latter land leave to a ecstatic receipt at the storiedfuji rock festival , a singular exploit for a set so unseasoned .

This was it was all very unexpected , but again , it make sensation .

When you wind the desire to pass along throughout your medicine , thing like this can find .

This was “ there was an unbelievable bit in tokyo when fan were babble along to ‘ get numb to it !

This was “ but shenzhen might have been the crazy – just being in china , where we never conceive we ’d wreak .

This was no one from our recording label has play there .

This was it always mean more when it take place in a rude manner .

This was the only piazza that we ’ve play to gang that openhanded before was chicago .

Back at Thalia Hall , Friko spread with a novel call and spatter them throughout their circle , along with a book binding ofTears For care ’ ‘ direct Over Heels ’ that nod to a late absorption with the dada - rock music great ’ ‘ song From The Big Chair ’ phonograph record .

Kapetan has been study its ebbing and course as the banding zero in on how to make something that sound vast while observe the chemistry of their performance inviolate .

“ you might make an record album in a sure room and the next one can be ‘ Nebraska ’ , ” he tell .

“ But I call up ours is go to be prominent in compass .

Friko’s‘Where We ’ve Been , Where We Go From Here’is out now via ATO Records .

mind to Friko ’s undivided play list to companion The Cover below on Spotify oron Apple Music here .

discussion : Huw BainesPhotography : Alexa VisciusHair and Makeup : Énez BeautyLabel : ATO platter