NEW ALBUM, BILL // 10.5.18

Friends!

We're thrilled to share the release date of our second album, BILL: October 5th, 2018. We made this record with Steve Albini at Electrical Audio in Chicago IL. We're so proud of it and so ready for you to hear it. The first single and video, "Horrify," releases on all digital platforms on August 17th! There will be more to come between then and the album's release, so please be sure to follow, like, and subscribe to us wherever you get your music! Links below.

As a body of work, BILL is about to trying to be a human and know other humans during inhumane times. Part of that is reckoning with one's self, part of that is either accepting those around us or letting them go. And yet another part of that is making sure that we're not just focusing on our own success and safety, but those of the community around us. It's time for tolerance and service and hope, not destroying one another and ourselves.

The stunning album cover photo was taken by Zach Barocas; we love it so much. The design was done by Buick Audra and Ric Simenson.

SPOTIFY // YOUTUBE // TWITTER // FACEBOOK // INSTAGRAM // BANDCAMP

We're also excited to tell you that we're doing some dates with ROYAL THUNDER next month! And most of the shows are in cities we've not yet played; we're very much looking forward to them. Dates below. Additional tour dates in support of the new album to come soon!

We're on your side. Keep hope alive,

FC

SHOWS

09/03/18 --- Columbia, SC - New Brookland Tavern
09/04/18 --- Nashville, TN - The End
09/05/18 --- Birmingham, AL - The Nick
09/07/18 --- St. Petersburg, FL - Fubar
09/08/18 --- Jacksonville, FL - Nighthawks

*All dates supporting ROYAL THUNDER

JUNE AND JULY TOUR DATES!

Hey there!

Mighty thanks and appreciation to all who came out to the Raise Your Voice shows last month! We had a terrific time - and we registered some people to vote. So, mission accomplished! We're grateful to the venues, promoters, organizations, bands, and friends who participated.

We're playing a handful of shows at the end of this month and beginning of July. Dates below. Announcements about the forthcoming album will be made next month; stay tuned! 

We wish you a happy beginning of Summer. We'll see you out there.

Yours in friendship and PMA,

FC

Photo by Ceth Carter

SHOWS

06/23/18 --- The P&H Cafe, Memphis TN
06/28/18 --- The Milestone, Charlotte NC
06/29/18 --- Guido's Speakeasy, Frederick MD
07/01/18 --- St. Vitus Bar, Brooklyn NY
07/02/18 --- The Pharmacy, Philadelphia PA

RAISE YOUR VOICE TOUR IN MAY + RED FANG SHOW!

Hello!
Happy almost Spring! We're dropping you a line to let you know about some upcoming live shows. We're heading back to Texas for our second year of Houston Punkfest at the end of April! Also, we're thrilled to announce that we're doing a hometown show with RED FANG on May 4th! Tickets are available now HERE. 

In addition to those shows, check out the RAISE YOUR VOICE tour! We've decided to travel to some of the states with the lowest voter turnout numbers in recent elections and offer voter registration options right at the shows. In states that have any kind of online voter registration, we'll have electronic registration stations. In states where you still have to fill out paperwork, we'll have that, too! We believe in everyone's right to have a say, and voting is part of that process. Plus, these shows will be rad hangs. Dates below, and more will be added to this list! Be sure to track us on Bandsintown for updates and additional events.

Last, we know we haven't told you when the new record will be out. Soon, friends. Soon.

Yours in friendship and PMA,
FC

UPCOMING SHOWS

• 04/28/18 --- Houston Punkfest, Houston TX

• 05/03/18 --- Crosstown Arts, Memphis TN

• 05/04/18 --- Exit/In, Nashville TN

• 05/06/18 --- Resonator, Norman OK

• 05/08/18 --- The Spruce Goose, Houston TX

• 05/10/18 --- Revolution Cafe, Bryan TX

• 05/11/18 --- Workers Revival Fest, Kansas City MO

• 05/12/18 --- Replay Lounge, Lawrence KS

• 05/13/18 --- Burlington Bar, Chicago IL

• 05/14/18 --- The Root Cellar, Bloomington IN

• 05/16/18 --- 123 Pleasant St., Morgantown WV

• 05/18/18 --- JJ's Bohemia, Chattanooga TN

• 05/19/18 --- Kavarna, Decatur GA

• 05/24/18 --- PG, Evansville IN

• 05/25/18 --- The Cure Lounge, Louisville KY

THANK YOU FOR 2017 // NEW ALBUM COMING IN 2018!

Hello hello!

We've made a new album; a second album! We spent six days in the studio with Steve Albini at the end of November and beginning of this month. The experience was positive, singular, life-affirming, and quite productive. Electrical Audio is outrageously cool and we feel fortunate to have made some art there. Steve made the process so enjoyable and easy and we don't know how we ever worked without him.

The album will be released next year and we look forward to sharing it with you! We're working on making that happen right now. In the meantime, here are some photos from our sessions, and there are more where these came from.

* * *

Earlier in the year, we released the JUNEBUG 7" and also had our song "Scuffle" included on the Resolution of Happiness compilation. If you haven't yet heard either of those bodies of work, check them out! They benefit the ACLU and Lambda Legal, respectively. We made videos for "Berlin" and "Scuffle," too. Fun projects all around. We also did a few tours within the U.S., all of which were fulfilling.

We'd like to thank you for making our 2017 such a purposeful year. To everyone who came out to the shows, bought music, watched the videos, shared the work with others, talked to us, hugged us, played shows with us, let us crash on your floors and couches, and simply just believed in the mission: we thank you.

May the new year bring us together again, and give us all opportunities to be of service to others.

Yours in friendship and PMA, 

FC

NEW ALBUM WITH STEVE ALBINI!

Hey there,

We're excited to announce that we're making our next record with Steve Albini at Electrical Audio next month. 

Stay tuned for more updates!

See you all soon.

-FC

Photo by Zach Barocas

RESOLUTION OF HAPPINESS // A RADICAL RESISTANCE COMPILATION

Today is the day! The Resolution of Happiness compilation is out! The nineteen song album can now be purchased on CD or as a digital download.

We're happy to be part of this effort of resistance and solidarity. Our song "Scuffle" is in good company, for sure. If you don't know about the comp, here are the details: B. From our band curated and released it on her label, Trimming The Shield Records (which has also released all of our music to date). The release 100% benefits Lambda Legal, an invaluable resource for the LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS communities. The contributing bands are from all over the country - and there's even one artist in Berlin! The musical genres span Punk, Country, Singer-Songwriter, Folk, Post-Punk, Experimental, Indie . . . there is truly something for everyone!

The cover art was done by illustrator Karen Mooney (@moongerm) in Chicago, the graphic layout was done by Veronica Leto (@eveyinorbit) and Buick. The mastering was done by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering in Nashville. 

Please go support this labor of love and intention. Happy Pride!

Yours in friendship and PMA,

FC

June tour dates and a new song!

Hey, all!

We're headed out to play some shows this month and want to let you know where we'll be. We're doing seven shows between the Midwest and the East coast and have some rad experiences lined up. We get to play two shows with Bright Christ, the new punk duo by Stephen Shodin and Zach Barocas (two-thirds of BELLS≥), we get to play Third Man Records in Detroit, and we get to see some people we love at every stop. We'll have copies of our new JUNEBUG 7" with us, too. Come say hi to us if we're coming to a rock show near you!

Then, on June 23rd, the Resolution of Happiness compilation comes out on Trimming The Shield Records, and we have a brand new song called "Scuffle" on it! The comp will 100% benefit Lambda Legal, so be sure to get a CD or digital copy of it. Nineteen bands and artists, all united in solidarity! It just went up for pre-order today, GET IT HERE.

We appreciate you and your continued support!
Yours in friendship and PMA,
FC

SHOWS:
06/14/17 --- Quenchers, Chicago IL
06/15/17 --- Third Man Records, Detroit MI
06/16/17 --- Footlight Bar, Ridgewood NY
06/18/17 --- Koto, Salem MA
06/20/17 --- The Depot, Baltimore MD
06/21/17 --- Metropolitan, Annapolis MD
06/22/17 --- Milestone, Charlotte NC

OUT NOW: JUNEBUG EP and VIDEO FOR "BERLIN"

Hello, all!

Happy day: the JUNEBUG EP is out today! We're very proud to be able to share it with you all and hope you enjoy it. It was made in the spirit of collaboration and community, and as such, will partially benefit the ACLU. For this record, we collaborated with Jesse Michaels (Operation Ivy, Classics of Love), covered a song by Nashville's own Iodine, called in a German translation, and wrote a song for some friends of ours. It's a diverse and different body of work for us.

The 7" can now be purchased from our pages, at our live shows, and at these fine retailers: Grimey's, Fond Object, The Groove, and Atomic Nashville.

And, we made a video for one of the songs on the EP, "Berlin." It was our first experience with opening up our visual medium to a large group of people in our local community. We very much enjoyed the process and are excited to share the final product with you today. Appreciation to Harvey Milk and Cleve Jones; additional appreciation to Gilbert Baker.

"Berlin" from JUNEBUG by Friendship Commanders. ℗ & © Trimming The Shield Records, 2017.

Updated tour dates are listed below, and more will be added to the June run, so be sure to check back. Can't wait to see you all!

We appreciate you and your continued support

Yours in friendship and PMA,

FC

SHOWS:

04/21/17 --- Siberia, New Orleans LA

04/22/17 --- Houston Underground Punk Fest #5, Houston TX

05/05/17 --- BriendsFEST // Showroom Studios, Indianapolis IN

05/06/17 --- The Mutiny, Chicago IL

06/16/17 --- TBA, Brooklyn NY

06/18/17 --- Koto, Salem MA

06/21/17 --- Metropolitan, Annapolis MD

06/22/17 --- Milestone, Charlotte NC

NEW JUNEBUG EP AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER TODAY!

Hey, friends! 

We're excited to announce that our new EP, JUNEBUG, can now be pre-ordered! It will be released on April 15th, Record Store Day, and will only be available on 7" vinyl with digital download. You'll be able to get it at Grimey's in Nashville, at our live shows, and online. Pre-ordered records will ship on Monday, April 18th. One song from the EP will be yours as soon as you pre-order your copy. We hope you enjoy it!

This record is meaningful to us because each song was inspired by or contributed to by people outside of our band. "Fighting Shape" was inspired by our comrades in BELLS≥ and is dedicated to them. "Tragedy Chaser" was co-written by Jesse Michaels (Operation Ivy, Classics of Love). "Berlin" features a German translation by N. A. Huebsch Jr., and "Swan Dive" was written by Jay Joyce and originally performed by his band, Iodine. In the spirit of community and collaboration, one dollar of every copy sold will be given to the ACLU. 

Some incomplete tour dates are listed below. Our show in Nashville on March 24th will be the last local one for a while. We look forward to playing with friends in town and then touring throughout the rest of the year.

Finally, B. is curating and releasing a compilation called Resolution of Happiness this year. The call for original music submissions is open now and will close on April 23rd. If you'd like to know more about the project, read about it here. All proceeds will go to Lambda Legal.

Thank you so much for your continued support!

Yours in friendship and PMA,
FC

SHOWS:
03/24/17 --- Resolute Fest/The Cobra, Nashville TN
04/22/17 --- Houston Underground Punk Fest #5, Houston TX
05/05/17 --- Burlington Bar, Chicago IL
06/16/17 --- St. Vitus Bar, Brooklyn NY

NEW YEAR // NEW MUSIC

Happy 2017!

How are you faring with this new administration, friends? We're horrified on a daily basis (sometimes it's hourly), but are doing our level best to contribute to the resistance. It's an ongoing education, to be sure. Trying to keep the PMA alive is a full time job.

In positive news, we will be releasing our first 7" record on Record Store Day (April 15th), a collection of four songs that were all inspired by or contributed to by outside people. The record is called JUNEBUG and it will be available here, on our site, bandcamp, at our live shows, and in select retail stores. One dollar of every copy sold will be given to the ACLU.

We had the great pleasure of collaborating with friends a few weeks ago. The project is called East Fowlkes Sextet, and we are: Zach Barocas, Kevin McKendree, Jerry Roe, Buick Audra, Yates McKendree, and Steve Mackey. We wrote and recorded four instrumental pieces in four days at the Rock House in Franklin TN. Release information to come!

Spring tour dates are being finalized right now, but we can tell you we'll be headed Southwest first this year. Our first show of the year is a local one, this Friday night at the End in Nashville. Details below.

Persist, resist, and keep hope alive. We are with you, thank you for being with us.

Yours in friendship and PMA,

FC

SHOWS:

02/24/17 --- The End, Nashville TN

03/24/17 --- Resolute Fest/The Cobra, Nashville TN

04/22/17 --- Houston Underground Punk Fest #5, Houston TX