Friday Giants released a brand-new EP, Something Worth Saving today and will be celebrating with a release party at Bogart’s on June 15th! The band roster has switched up and has experienced a bit of a rebirth. Something Worth Savinghas a different sound and was recorded in Chicago at Always Be Genius Recordings. We jumped at the chance to find out more about the new happenings for Friday Giants.
Listen to Something Worth Saving
Win Tickets to the Release Party!
Tell us about the new band roster…
There are no new faces in the lineup officially, just some moving around. Currently it consists of Chuck Ralenkotter, Logan Boatright and myself (Zac Taylor). We went into the studio as a three piece with Chuck on guitars, Logan on drums and myself on bass and absorbing Gavin's (our former frontman) role as songwriter and vocalist. This ended up working out much better than we had anticipated. With fewer cooks in the kitchen the writing process was far less stressful. With most of us being fluent on more than one instrument, we were able to fill all of the roles and at the same time help each other fine tune everything without bumping into each other. This had a lot to do with how concentrated these songs ended up. We were all on the same page writing exactly the music we've wanted to write for a long time.
What prompted the change for the different sound for the new EP?
Our former vocalist Gavin Bonar approached us late last year about stepping down as frontman. This was particularly unsettling news considering we were heading into the studio just 2 months from that point. Obviously that's not a ton of time to find a permanent replacement, so we looked within. The idea was brought to the table that I should give it a shot. I am no stranger to singing but honestly it wasn't something I ever pictured myself doing. Even Gavin wasn't the biggest fan of the idea at the time, but with the clock ticking it was time to sink or swim, so I decided to give it a shot. Changing frontmen is difficult with any band but I knew deep down that there was not a person on this planet that had a more deep-rooted love for this band and cared for it the way I did. I've written songs for us before, the only difference is that I would be singing them and with that is going to come a change in sound. However, this EP is still very much Friday Giants. We, by no means, pulled a 180. This band as always been pretty versatile when it comes to our style. With this EP we simply chose an avenue and stuck to it. There's not a single song on this release that doesn't have a parallel on our 2017 full length Twenty Nothings, and I really think that fans of the group will be pleasantly surprised with what we came home with. Lord knows I was.
How did the recording process go?
Unlike anything we have ever experienced. We recorded the EP just outside of Chicago at Always Be Genius with Seth Henderson. His name is attached to some monumental records and he's worked with some incredible bands. Walking into the studio on day one was nerve racking to say the least. We had just lost our singer 2 months prior, we had been focusing nonstop on getting the demos prepared. We were in pretty bad shape and to be honest, I wouldn't have been surprised if Seth had sent us packing that day. Other than helping with a few of our previous tracks, I had very little experience with songwriting, so I was a nervous wreck when it came to writing these songs. Not only did he respond with complete and total understanding, he listened to the demos and knew exactly the sound we were shooting for, and he was actually excited to get started right from the get-go. Once we made adjustments to the structure of the songs, something in me clicked, and lyrics started to pour out of me. By the 3rd or 4th day we were like a well-oiled machine. For a week we lived in the music, and that's why we all started doing this in the first place. We were in our element. It was then I understood why Seth is so successful, he's an absolute miracle worker, and you can't truly understand that until you see him in action. We had the time of our lives working with him and I think the songs reflect that in a weird way. We can't thank him enough for bringing this band back to life, and reigniting our passion for making music. We can't wait to work with him again.
What is next for Friday Giants?
We are ready to get back on stage! Starting with our release show at the legendary Bogart’s on Saturday June 15th! We've been working our tails off to put together one hell of a comeback show and we can't wait to show the world what we've been up to. We hope to take this new release on the road in the near future and put our feet on as many stages as possible, and honestly, we can't wait to start working on even more new music! We are hungry, and we are more motivated than we've ever been. It feels good!
