An Interview With The British Newcomers, FICKLE FRIENDS!

Photo Credit- Polydor Records/David Titlow

British newcomers, Fickle Friends who have collectively gathered over 15 million streams on Spotify, and garnered major press support for their alt pop sound from Billboard, Noisey, Pitchfork, Stereogum, and more, have returned with their first single in 2017 – “Hello Hello.” Out now on Polydor, the track premiered on BBC Radio 1 with Huw Stephens and is streaming now on The Independent, showcasing the band’s ability to create perfectly crafted glittering-pop gems.

“Hello Hello was one of the first songs we wrote this time last year during our trip to LA,” recalls front-woman Natti Shiner. “The track came about in the home studio we’d put together in an Airbnb and it was one of those sessions where a song comes together super quickly, it just flowed. It’s about sticking with someone who’s lost sight of who they are and what they’re worth.”

Produced by Mike Crossey (Foals, The 1975), “Hello Hello” follows the pattern of Fickle Friends tracks “SWIM,” “Crybaby” and “Brooklyn,” which will all appear on the band’s forthcoming full length album.  In addition to the new release, Fickle Friends will make their American live debut, visiting The States during the Summer of 2017. Plus, in the UK the band will make a Leeds and Reading Festival appearance, plus have announced they will headline the NME STUDENT TOUR this month (March 2017) and the full UK / European support tour with PVRIS in May.

Connect With Fickle Friends:

http://facebook.com/ficklefriends

http://soundcloud.com/ficklefriends

https://twitter.com/ficklefriends
 http://instagram.com/ficklefriends

Learn more about Fickle Friends in the following All Access interview:

What are some words you would use to describe 2016 for you and your music? What were some of the highlights? What are you most excited about for 2017?

Turbulent, inspiring, enlightening, hard work Ha. Highlights include playing Reading festival, going to LA for the first time, recording our album, and shooting the “Brooklyn” video. We’re most excited about releasing that album, and touring in the states.

Growing up, did all of you always want to be musicians? Can you recall your earliest musical memory? Could you see yourself doing anything else today?

I come from a pretty musical family, so I LOVE music, but never thought I’d be a musician. I mean I used to think I could win the tv show popstars when it first came about but I was like 11 and delusional. I was more fixed on becoming a doctor, but music really became a massive part of my life when I went to college. I had always written my own songs for fun, but I got a place at music school and jacked in everything else ha.

How did you come up with your name? Was it hard to narrow down one name that described this group?

Before the band was a thing I was gonna be one half of a DJ duo, called Fickle Friends because we were crap friends ha. That never went anywhere, but I stole the name because I was playing a gig and I didn’t wanna be known as ‘Natassja Shiner.’ There was no decision to be made…the name just stuck.

This summer, you will be releasing your debut full-length album. What does that feel like? How long have you been working on this collection? What was it like working with the producer, Mike Crossey (The 1975) on it?

It’s been a working progress for a good two years, so we can’t wait for it to come out! Working with Mike was a surreal experience. We learn’t a lot and we also came back even more inspired so have been faced with trying to finish last minute songs by ourselves ha. He has such an exciting way of recording things. It’s been a super creative process.

What was the inspiration for your newest released single, “Hello Hello”? How do you think it compares to previous songs you have put out before like “Swim”, “Brooklyn” and “Crybaby”?

We wrote it in 28 minutes in our make shift home studio in an Airbnb in East Hollywood. It’s about being with someone who is in a bit of a downward spiral, doesn’t know who they are anymore, doesn’t see their worth, and sticking with them through that, hoping the person you knew is somewhere deep down. I always thought this song was quite easy to ‘get’ musically, unlike some of our other songs, which are more complicated. With our music I reckon a lot of people will know what I’m talking about….especially with “Hello Hello”/”Brooklyn”/”SWIM,”  they’re all multifaceted – the subject applies in relationships, platonic or romantic.

Who are some of your favorite musicians? What musicians would you love to work with in the future?

Fav musicians include Phoenix, Two Door Cinema Club, MUTEMATH, Michael Jackson, Katy Perry. We’d die to work with Max Martin. Doing something with Drake or Pharrell would be fully mental. Or Paul McCartney. Or Katy Perry….Yes pls!

At the end of the day, what do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people take away from your songs?

That it’s cool to be weird…slightly off kilter….And that we all share the same experiences one way or another, and that it’s safe to talk about them. Life is too short to bottle things up. Say what you feel, do what you feel.