by emily harris
photo courtesy of friends at the falls
Friends At The Falls are somewhat newcomers to the music-scene, but are solidifying their spot in your playlist. The duo released their newest single, “Be The Change,” on July 10th, a testament to the changing political times. Following the release of their single “Just A Little More” with over seventy-five thousand streams on Spotify, “Be The Change” is set to bring about the newest era of Friends At The Falls. The band talked with us about their planned release and their past releases.
Your newest single “Be The Change” was released on July 10th. Can you tell us about your decision to donate the first month’s streaming royalties to the Black Visions Collective?
Friends At The Falls: “We made the decision as a group to donate a month's worth of streaming royalties to the Black Visions Collective as a way of giving back and helping the Black community in this country-wide progressive movement. We recognize that donating is only one step in the right direction, and we are constantly working to continue educating ourselves and others.”
What was the writing and recording process like, especially as we’re in such an unprecedented time?
FATF: “We've actually had this song written for over two years, and we were just waiting for the right time to release it. At the time it was written Jake was really inspired by M83 and intrigued that you can use your voice as an instrument. Jake made the ‘yell’ sample in the intro and wrote the chord sequence on a synth. I think at the time we were both looking to write an upbeat anthemic song, with a chorus that a crowd of fans would be able to scream back at us.”
You’re coining the release of your new single as the start of the new era. What else can we expect for the future of Friends At The Falls?
FATF: “Our main goal entering this new era is to write cohesive songs that can fill huge rooms. We want to write and play songs that sound like they can be performed in an arena or headlining music festivals.”
Where did the artwork for the single come from? It’s got a bit of an 80s vibe to it!
FATF: “Thank you! We're constantly inspired by 80's style sounds and visuals. As far as visuals go, both the artwork and the upcoming music video have a lot of desert vibes, and mirrors, focusing on the theme of one's self desire to ‘be the change they've never been.’”
Following the release of “Just A Little More,” you recorded an acoustic version. How is the structure of this version of the song different from the original?
FATF: “The structure of the layout is quite similar, but we wanted to showcase vocal harmonies and a stripped-down production style as opposed to the heavily produced original version of the song.”
Within the past month, you’ve shared your daily routine in quarantine on Instagram Live. How has doing this and connecting with your fans allowed you to stay creative?
FATF: “We hoped that showing our fans a bit of an inside look at our daily lives would allow them to connect with us on a more personal level. We're always looking for new and creative ways to connect with our fans!”