Chicago's Friko practice a passionate merger of post-punk, chamber pop, and rousing indie rock with an experimental bent. Their debut album, 2024's Where we've been, Where we go from here, was an exhilarating one marked by vulnerable melodies, accented group vocals, and memorable choruses. Friends since kindergarten, Friko founding members Niko Kapetan (vocals, guitar) and Luke Stamos (bass) grew up in suburban Chicago, where they later met Bailey Minzenberger (drums) while in high school. They all played in various bands as teens, with Kapetan and Minzenberger playing a variety of instruments. The trio launched Friko in 2019 and were soon booking venues like the Empty Bottle and Schubas Tavern. The home-recorded, self-released Whenever Forever EP first appeared on cassette in March 2022, and the band made their festival debut at Bonnaroo the following year. The project was down to the duo of Kapetan and Minzenberger by the time it released the single "Crimson to Chrome" b/w "IN_OUT" in August 2023, alongside rising acclaim in the indie-music press. The pair's full-length debut (which included "Crimson to Chrome") was recorded mostly live with producer Scott Tallarida at his studio Trigger Chicago. With a high-contrast album design that balanced ballads and rousing rockers, the completed Where we've been, Where we go from here arrived on the ATO label in February 2024. ~ Marcy Donelson, Rovi