Nashville-based duo Friendship Commanders have recently released a new single from their upcoming album, BEAR, out on October 10th on Magnetic Eye Records. We caught up with Buick Audra (vocals/guitar) and Jerry Roe (bass/drums) to chat about the new single, “MELT,” their musical influences, and what it would look like if they curated their own festival.
From The Strait: Tell us about the new single, “MELT.”
Buick Audra: “MELT” is about feeling very outside of a group I once tried to belong to, and realizing that I’ve maybe never fit in. The song outlines some actual experiences I had both with other women and while observing other women, and discusses the fact that I feel quite separate from both. It’s a song that carries a sense of liberation while also being about grief. Maybe there’s acceptance in just letting go of the expectation that I’ll ever be included. Musically, the track has a buoyancy to it that Jerry and I really leaned into when arranging and recording it. Thematically, it’s a big part of the record’s area of focus, which is belonging—where it exists, and where it absolutely does not.
From The Strait: All artists (save for the exceptionally lucky ones) experience writer’s block from time to time. How do you battle through a block when songwriting?
BA: I actually don’t experience writer’s block. My songwriting happens in cycles and bursts, and I trust that there will always be more music when the time is right for it to show itself to me. I don’t tend to try to write. The music just shows up and I listen.
But, when I was early in my songwriting career, I would sometimes get together with two other musicians and we’d set a theme for a song we would all write, individually. Usually, we’d establish what the title would be and then we’d each take the following week to write and demo a song with that title. The next time we got together, we’d each share what we’d done, and then we’d start all over again. Those types of writing prompts can be really fun if you need a jump-off point.
From The Strait:Who were your musical influences growing up, and how do they differ from your current ones?
BA: Man, they’re the same, but there are just more now! Have always loved Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Shellac, Rickie Lee Jones, Shawn Colvin, Mariah Carey, Missy Elliot. Now I also enjoy some jazz – The Bad Plus and Nate Smith; I also love a bunch of newer rock and R&B – Jazmine Sullivan, Kvelertak, Sweet Cobra. I’m all over the place with what I love and draw from.
Jerry Roe: My biggest influences musically growing up were King Crimson, Soundgarden, Fishbone, Smashing Pumpkins and of course the big obvious drummer ones like Rush, Pantera (musically only, of course) and Metallica. I also grew up adjacent to country and roots music, so a lot of classic country and Americana got in there. These days I take a lot from the sludgier cohorts like SUMAC, Melvins, and I love what the dudes in Car Bomb are doing. It’s still generally the same and Matt Cameron remains my favorite among drummers!
From The Strait:If you could play any music venue anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
BA: I’ve never in my entire life played my hometown, Miami FL. Would love to one of these days! Don’t care which venue. Would just love to play the city I’m from, once and for all!
JR: I’ve been lucky to play the world with previous projects, but I’ve never been to Japan and I’d truly love to play there. With this band, I want to play anywhere we haven’t yet, but Japan remains the big one for me.
From The Strait:If you could curate a festival (with you headlining, of course), who would you want on the bill and what would it be called?
BA: Oh man. Maybe the title would be FRIENDS OF FRIENDS, and it would be all artists and bands we were connected to through other peers. I’d really love to be part of a mixed genre festival, as opposed to all rock or all heavy bands. I love so much other music, it would be cool to have a really varied event. Selfishly, because I’d love to see them perform, I’d ask Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog, and Jazmine Sullivan.
JR: Piggy-backing on what Buick said, I’d want to reach out to all the bands I traversed the scene with that I thought were great but never got their due. Lots of friends made some truly great music and nobody got to hear it outside of our small world here.
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Check out “MELT” by Friendship Commanders!
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 and Jerry Roe (bass/drums) to chat about the new single, "MELT," their musical influences, and what it would look like if they curated their own festival.){kind=link}