Friendship Commanders To Release HOLD ON TO YOURSELF

Friendship Commanders, the melodic heavy duo from Nashville TN comprised of vocalist/guitarist Buick Audra and drummer/bassist Jerry Roe, are pleased to announce the release of their five-song EP Hold On To Yourself due April 3 (pre-order) as well as spring tour dates in support of the release. Today the band shares "The Enemy I Know," the first single to be lifted from their forthcoming EP with Everything Is Noise. The song can be streamed at Soundcloud and will be available on all streaming services this Friday.

On the "The Enemy I Know," a female voice questions an elder about events that took place long ago in a family system of abuse, neglect, and denial. She asks what the other person remembers, and admits to having been changed by the events during which she had no agency over her own body or choices. She acknowledges that asking these questions makes her a threat to the other person's reality. Her voice shouts, "I'm not your enemy!" Buick Audra says, "Our culture tends to diminish survivors' voices instead of amplifying them. But I want to be loud about it. Survival isn't neat. Neither is being abandoned or gaslighted about what happened. Truth is not the enemy. It's just truth."

Hold On To Yourself is the anticipated follow up to the band's LP BILL, which was recorded with Steve Albini (Electrical Audio, Shellac). HOTY lands firmly on the heavier side of the band's sound and they collaborated with mix engineer Kurt Ballou (GodCity Studio, Converge) to round out the new work. A departure from a previously raw, mostly live-tracked approach, HOTY introduces a layered, more dimensional studio sound for FC.

In this body of songs, Friendship Commanders examine the world around them, their part in the problems and potential solutions, and even challenges the patriarchy. Friendship Commanders have long been an activist band, focusing their attention on issues surrounding equality and human rights. Hold On To Yourself continues their work of examining the world around them, their own part in the solution, and healing/learning from past traumas. The release gets personal and discusses what it looks like to be an adult who survived childhood trauma. Buick Audra, the band's primary songwriter, is an abuse survivor and has chosen to dedicate this work to other survivors. Her outgoing message is summarized in the EP's title. The phrase has been a personal mantra for Audra; she has a habit of writing it down every morning as a reminder. She says, "This has been especially true during times of dealing with unsafe family members, abusers, or unwell people. With a past of self-abandonment, holding on to myself has to be a focus in everything I do. It's a good reminder and I always need it. It just seemed like the right set of words for this record."

About the record, Jerry Roe says, "The songs and approach on this EP called for a very different energy, in that I had to put as much strength into one stroke as I would have 10 on our previous records. This also allowed me to open up my drum sounds because the music is much heavier, and called for a bigger, wider sound. The result is all-encompassing and to me, very cinematic. Lyrically, to me, these songs are kind of about evil and suppressive forces and psychology that manifest within a social or familial dynamic, so the music had to go in a heavier and darker place, but also a stronger place since once you get through heartache, confusion and fear, there's tons of insight, wisdom and strength, and the way the tracks are sequenced it ends in victory through personal reflection and acknowledgment. I'm honored and honestly very lucky to be able to play and collaborate with such a strong writer, musician, and singer. This is my favorite thing we've ever done."

Friendship Commanders Tour Dates

03.20 - Atlanta, GA @ Hammerhead Fest 9 - 529
04.04 - Nashville, TN @ Little Harpeth Brewing * EP Release Show
04.10 - Knoxville, TN @ Club Fungus
04.12 - Louisville, KY @ Mag Bar
04.13 - Chicago, IL @ Reggie's Music Joint
04.14 - Hamtramck, MI @ Small's
04.15 - Columbus, OH @ Space Bar
04.16 - Youngstown, OH @ Westside Bowl
04.17 - Brooklyn, NY @ Baby's Alright
04.18 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Upstairs
04.19 - Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie

Hold On To Yourself Track List

1. The Enemy I Know
2. Among Monsters
3. Anywhere (From The Nameless Bride)
4. Tuxedo Means Wolf (Redux)
5. July's Revelations

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