Nashville-based heavy duo Friendship Commanders shares their second dual single, “X / MIDHEAVEN,” along with a music video for “X” directed and edited by drummer/bassist Jerry Roe and shot by Jarad Clement.
Like their first dual single, “KEEPING SCORE / MELT,” the songs on “X / MIDHEAVEN” showcase opposite ends of BEAR’s sonic spectrum—one heavy, one lighter—each addressing questions about identity and influence.
Guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Buick Audra wrote “X” in June of 2024, just weeks after the passing of their friend and collaborator Steve Albini; she says:
“I was grieving, but I was also watching a generation grieve in ways I’d observed my whole life—stoically, strongly, sentimentally, and somewhat individually. This song is a loving send-up to that lost generation. We wanted the track and visuals to honor some of the artists who raised us creatively, including Steve. The camera I’m holding in the second verse was his. Very moving to have and include it here. He was a young Boomer, but the absolute King of Gen X. Missed and loved.”
“MIDHEAVEN’ goes wider; it gets into this idea of being born under a certain set of stars, and whether or not that has anything to do with who we are. As a person who feels like a lifelong misfit with a nature I can’t seem to change, I’m curious about where that starts. Is it written from the start? I’m willing to believe anything at this point. Some days, it’s tempting to blame it all on the sky.”
On October 10, Nashville-based heavy duo Friendship Commanders will release their new album BEAR via their new label home Magnetic Eye Records. BEAR was co-produced by band members Buick Audra (guitars, vocals) and Jerry Roe (drums, bass) along with their longtime collaborator, Kurt Ballou, who also tracked the instrumental performances and mixed the record. The project is centered around the ever-elusive idea of belonging—where it occurs, and where it absolutely does not.
