In the roaring tempest of Nashville's rock underground, Friendship Commanders stand as a mighty duo, forging visceral sonic narratives that hit like a force of nature. Their latest opus, "Still Life," a thunderous anthem from the imminent album MASS, serves as a haunting testament to songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Buick Audra's tumultuous sojourn through the crucible of Massachusetts. With searing honesty, Audra's lyrical revelations expose the shadows within the Boston music scene, where "Still Life" becomes a fever dream, a collage of poignant echoes and unspoken truths. Teaming up with the indomitable drummer/bassist Jerry Roe, Friendship Commanders, under the astute guidance of producer Kurt Ballou, sculpt a sonic landscape at GodCity studio in Salem that mirrors the raw urgency and unapologetic intensity of their narrative. As the album's release looms large, each prelude single, including the evocative "High Sun" and boundary-defining "Vampire," offers a glimpse into the band's unyielding commitment to sonic exploration and social commentary. Friendship Commanders are not just a band; they are sonic storm-bringers, wielding music as a weapon and narrative as a shield in their unrelenting pursuit of truth and catharsis.
How did the band form?
On a lark. We started playing together and making demos because we thought it might be a fun “side project.” We were both doing other things musically and thought FC would be an outlet for a different side of our musical leanings. We had no idea it would become the primary project it is now!
What are your previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?
Buick Audra: We’re both from musical families, so music is really both of our first language. I have a solo project under my own name (Buick Audra); I also played in a post-hardcore band with my brother and another friend called 33 Slade; I was in a musical partnership with English singer Joss Stone; and I’ve done assorted other shorter-lived projects here and there.
Jerry Roe: My first project to release an album and tour was a short-lived band called Paper Rival, but I toured and recorded with Th’ Legendary Shack*Shakers shortly after that, and spent a year on the road with Head Automatica. I’ve ended up mostly working as a drummer and this is really my first genuine, all-in band.
First concert that you ever went to?
BA: My first concert that wasn’t my biological parents was Blondie, and it was amazing. Debbie was a force, and I’m certain it shaped my musical trajectory.
JR: My first concert was Fugazi, with a local band called Buzzkill opening which featured a young Hank III on drums. I preferred them at the time. They were more on the Helmet side of things. They broke up soon after.
Can you explain what your writing process is like?
I’m the primary writer, and I tend to follow my instincts and my obsessions. This new album, MASS, was written in a couple of short months and ended up being a concept album about my time living in Massachusetts as a teen and younger adult—a weird and formative time with some bizarre experiences that still impact me today. I started to hear melodies and guitar riffs and followed them where they took me. Once the first two songs were written (“A Retraction” and Fail”), I realized the work was starting to tell a story about that time and place. As the songs each formed, I’d take them to Jerry, and we’d work them up into the arrangements that are now on the album.
One thing that informed some of how this record was written, was alternate guitar tunings. I put one of my guitars in a C tuning, and another in an F/C tuning. One guitar was in Drop D and the last was in standard tuning. Having that variety of voices helped me get out of my writing ruts and work some new melodic and chordal structures into the mix.
What other artists or songs inspire your music?
PLAYLIST
Outshined – Soundgarden
Song of the Minerals – Shellac
Breakdown – Mariah Carey w/ Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Would? – Alice in Chains
Rusty Cage – Soundgarden
Are You That Somebody – Aaliyah
Quiet – The Smashing Pumpkins
Feed the Tree – Belly
No Aloha – The Breeders
10. Demon Cleaner – Kyuss
11. Hit ‘Em wit da Hee – Missy Elliott w/ Lil’ Kim
BA: I wrote the new album, and I’m a big R&B fan, as well as a heavy music person. I also listen to a good bit of instrumental jazz. All around, I love big choruses, and I’m a sucker for melodic riffs and soulful vocals. I’m always influenced by Chris Cornell and Layne Staley as vocalists; Chris Cornell and Steve Albini as writers and guitarists; Mariah Carey and Aaliyah as vocalists and artists; and I would not be here without the artistry and existence of Poly Styrene and the other founding women of punk. Also hugely influenced by Rickie Lee Jones, Shawn Colvin, and Kim Deal. I believe MASS nods to Badmotorfinger, Live at Action Park, Butterfly, and Dirt, among others.
JR: I feel like my influences are fairly typical for a drummer from my generation - Bill Bruford and Neil Peart were big, alongside folks like Levon Helm and Pete Thomas from The Attractions - but in this band I pull mostly from my love of the sludgier stuff like Crowbar and the Melvins, and the grunge/alt-metal that was hitting when I was a kid. Matt Cameron is probably my favorite of all time. Pocket and great time feel are the most important thing to me, and I’m always gonna lean that way when it’s time too come up with a part. Buick IS the writer in the band though, and so my biggest influences here are her guitar parts and melodies. There’s a real thing about locking in with whatever her right hand is playing, and filling the space in-between her words with something complimentary that hopefully helps get the point across musically and spiritually. The songs come from her so perfectly fleshed out and what I play comes pretty easily and quickly.
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be its own thing?
BA: I think recorded music and live music should each have their own kind of presence and power. I don’t ever aim to exactly replicate a recording in a live setting, but I do aim to honor it. On MASS, we really went for it as far as production and layering went, so it would be impossible to perform those songs the same way live, but we definitely work to deliver renditions that are moving, powerful, and technical on stage.
JR: I think I can speak for both of us by saying that we approach the show as athletes almost. Power and size are essential as a duo, so it’s all about making it sounds as big as we can without using any tricks or playing anything that would make us sound smaller. I always feel like we’ve run a marathon after we’re done playing, and truly these shows are the most alive I ever feel. Most spiritual experience I can have on this planet.
What has your touring experience been, best shows? Worst shows?
BA: I feel like we’ve played literally every kind of show there is, from shows where no one came, to sold out shows at Bowery Ballroom—and everything in between. We, like everyone else, lost a lot of touring time in 2020 and 2021, so now we’re just happy to be out at all. The shows this year have been great so far. Looking forward to hitting some new cities as well as places we haven’t been to since before the pandemic this Fall!
JR: It may not be the best show we ever played, but we opened for Red Fang at Exit/In here in town a few years back, and it served as sort of our proper introduction to the sludgier, heavier music fans of the world and made it very clear that’s where we belong. We’ve felt at home there ever since, and we made some strong friendships that night. Feel like that show is a big part of the reason why we’re where we are now.
The worst show we ever played feels like a different timeline, but in the first month or so of us being a band an old friend of ours booked us on a gig out of state that turned out to be in a sports bar, and they asked us to turn down in the middle of our first song because they couldn’t hear drink orders. No idea what dude was thinking of booking us there, but we’re thankful that we very quickly moved past that being something that would happen ever again.
What's up next for the band?
BA: We’re doing six weeks of touring in the U.S. on our new album MASS, which we made with Kurt Ballou! We’ve been working toward this release all year and we can’t wait to be out playing the songs live!
JR: Buick’s already got some great new songs in the can, but we absolutely will be, and must tour extensively on this album. Can’t wait! We need it for our
souls.
https://friendshipcommanders.bandcamp.com/album/mass