Following the release of their explosive initial singles ‘Gold’, ‘Snowfall’, ‘The War’, and ‘Headspin’ ft. Charlotte Spiral over the last year, which have since gone on to receive airplay on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio London, named as Jack Saunders’ New Wave, and found praise from the likes of The Line Of Best Fit, CLASH, GIGWISE, Indie Shuffle, Wonderland, Fault Magazine, The Most Radicalist, Atwood Magazine and Record of the Day, indie-psych heroes Hi Frisco have now returned to deliver their next uplifting offering ‘Quiet Lights’, taken from their forthcoming debut album ‘Goodbye, Blue Monday’.
Much like their output to date, ‘Quiet Lights’ showcases more of that fresh and exciting direction they have been pushing throughout 2020. Blending bright and glittering production with a warped and adventurous sensibility, this new delight brings together a rich and diverse array of influences to create a masterful and spellbinding return, wetting our appetites further for that highly-anticipated full-length release.
Speaking about ‘Quiet Lights’, the band said, “The initial demo happened around Christmas, I was reflecting over the last few years of my life, searching for the last time I had the feeling of being carefree. Daydreaming of being free from the pressures of time, money, touring, drinking, partying, living in east London etc, finding somewhere tranquil to be. It follows the idea that the pursuit can be more fulfilling and enlightening than what it is you’re pursuing, adopting a sit back and enjoy the trip style mantra. Comes with a homage to the bright lights of home (Blackpool), in the form of a jaunty fairground organ intro.”
Along with their previously unveiled tracks ‘The War’, ‘Gold’, and ‘Headspin’, ‘Quiet Lights’ has been lifted from the band’s eagerly-awaited debut album ‘Goodbye, Blue Monday’, which is set to land on October 9th. With the title lifted from a passage in a Kurt Vonnegut book and one of a selection of slogans drawn on the side of the bombs waiting to be taken to war, their first collection looks to explore the many avenues that the psychedelic sound has to offer as they look to create a bright and soaring initial offering that will cement them as one of the most captivating new acts of the year so far.
Listen to ‘Quiet Lights’ – BELOW:
Goodbye, Blue Monday tracklisting:
1. Goodbye, Blue Monday
2. Quiet Lights
3. Gold
4. Holiday
5. The War
6. Headspin (ft. Charlotte Spiral)
7. Echolalia
8. Drift
9. Wallflowers
10. Goodbye, Blue Monday (Reprise)
Speaking about the name, Hi Frisco’s Felix Rashman added, “We were both drawn to it as a title because of the duality it hinted at, both wishful thinking of a place to aim for and a mantra to help you get through the tough times when they feel here for the long haul.”
While Henry added about the writing process, “The writing sessions for this album were very cathartic, in fact, the whole process has been as such. What started as a bunch of musical sketches in my tiny little west-facing ‘music room’ in Hackney, during winter 2017, progressed slowly with reluctant washed out vocals, into somewhat finished songs throughout 2018. Work slowed in that room during summer, as from 2-3 pm onwards the sun (the famous English sun) made it almost impossible to see the screen of my already weathered laptop. However, I managed to get them together, and sent a handful of them to Felix, with the hope of working on them together, thankfully he saw the potential in them, and we embarked on a journey into the sonic unknown.”
The pair, originally hailing from Blackpool (Henry) and Yorkshire (Felix), create in their studio, Calmer Than You Are (one of the many Big Lebowski references surrounding the studio) based in a block of creative spaces in East London. They built the studio with another friend, kitting it out to be cosy enough for them to virtually live out of while promoting creativity. It’s the kind of place to lose days in, though you’d be safe in the knowledge that anything put down in this space would no doubt come out sounding special. What they create is the perfect middle ground between experimentation and smart pop writing.
But who is Hi Frisco? Named after a greeting from the novel, Atlas Shrugged – Henry has been writing and performing as a session musician and guitarist for several years, with work alongside Say Lou Lou, Chlöe Howell, Sunset Sons and Sparkadia. Felix, meanwhile, takes on more of a producer role in the two. He’s worked as a studio engineer with some of the biggest names in the game and has also produced songs for some of Britain’s most exciting new bands like YAK, Crows, Babeheaven and more.
“Around the end of 2017, I’d written a load of demos and no idea what the fuck I wanted to do,” Henry says about their origins. The pair started running in the same circles in London towards the end of 2017, and when Henry took them to Felix in a casual capacity, the two hit it off creatively immediately. They bonded over bands like Love, The Beatles, Kinks as well as current bands like Metronomy, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Caribou and this led to the conception of Hi Frisco.
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