April 10, 2025 • 34 mins
What happens when lifelong musical appreciation finally transforms into creation? In this candid conversation, Brooklyn-based musician Avery Friedman reveals the surprisingly recent journey that led to her debut album "New Thing," set for April 2025 release.
From her earliest memories singing alto in her Ohio school choir to becoming a devoted music fan and reviewer in college, Friedman's path to making her own music was marked by one significant obstacle: debilitating performance anxiety. Despite loving harmony and understanding music deeply, she couldn't imagine herself as the performer rather than the audience. "I was a goalie in soccer," she reflects, "so it's not like I was totally averse to being in the spotlight in some way, but I was really, really scared."
The turning point came just two years ago when Friedman decided she had to try songwriting or risk permanent regret. That first attempt—simply playing chords and humming melodies—unlocked something profound: "How have I waited 26 years to do this?" Her creative process quickly evolved, typically beginning with guitar chord progressions that express her emotional state before weaving in melodies and lyrics that help process overwhelming feelings.
What makes Friedman's story so compelling is how she conquered the anxiety that had kept her voice hidden for so long. Through supportive relationships and deliberate mindset work, she gradually found confidence to share her music publicly. Now with two singles already released—"Flower Fell" and "Phone Booth"—and a full album on the horizon (available on vinyl and tape following the digital release), Friedman embodies what's possible when creative fear is finally confronted.
Discover how a late-blooming musical journey can produce work that feels both naturally inevitable and remarkably brave. Listen to Avery Friedman's singles now and mark your calendars for "New Thing" in April 2025—because sometimes the most authentic voices are the ones that take the longest to emerge.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Chris (00:41):
All right, here we are people.
Another episode of FBU, apodcast.
Season five is progressingalong and as we progress the
weather is getting nicer andnicer here in the East Coast of
North America Bring it on spring, you can smell it.
And today I have Avery Friedmancoming in from Brooklyn and she
(01:05):
just is about to put out herfirst record called New Thing,
and I just got the privilege ofhaving her come on and we're
going to talk all about NewThing but also about her music
and how it started and all thosefun things.
Avery, thank you for acceptingthis invite.
I am so happy to have you joinand share an episode with you.
Avery Friedman (01:26):
Yeah, thank you so much.
I'm touched to be asked.
I appreciate it.
Chris (01:30):
Well, you need some well-deserved attention because
you got two singles out so faroff of this record coming out
April people, april 2025.
So keep it on your radar.
But there's a couple of singlesout already uh, flower fell and
also phone booth, which are twogreat songs.
But I was able, through umavery's uh guy um, to get the
(01:53):
record and I got to listen to itand it's well worth the wait
and, uh, you'll definitely wantto get this one when it comes
out.
So, avery, the, I always loveto start off just a little bit
about you, where it all startedand like when did music start to
become something of interest toyou in your formative years?
Avery Friedman (02:12):
Yeah, I always was super drawn to music.
I think growing up we were Igrew up in Ohio and we were, we,
I think we had to be in choirwhen we were young and like
fourth grade and I really,really loved it and I remember,
like I have a specific formativememory of uh, we had to sing
(02:33):
carol of the bells, thatchristmas song, and um, we just,
I think, had two parts likealto and soprano.
I think, even like the, thelittle boys were either altos or
sopranos.
Their voices are so high andeveryone, like nobody, wanted to
be an alto, because it's notthe part of the song that you
recognize.
But, it's not the like da da, dada, but I was an alto and I
(02:58):
really loved it.
Like I realized I really loveharmony and I love just the sort
of bodily feeling of singingwith people and yeah,
specifically harmony I've alwaysbeen super drawn to and um.
I remember like the first musicI really loved I felt like made
me feel how being in choiralways made me feel um, but
(03:19):
choir is such a great thingthough?
Chris (03:20):
eh, because as a kid, like, if you're interested in
music, I mean you're not goingto start a band at like eight,
nine, ten, right?
Yeah, like choir.
Avery Friedman (03:30):
Like I've spoken to many musicians that that's
their origin story is singingtogether in a choir, which is
very very typical for formusicians yeah, when I think
about it, it you know, it knowit offers a because you know a
big, a big reason I didn't diveinto music, like writing and
performing myself for so longOne was because I was extremely
(03:51):
anxious about performing.
I was not not excited aboutthat, but also because I was a
big soccer player in high schooland prior.
But I think that just felt likethe kind of thing that in where
I grew up know, when yourparents want you to work hard at
something and like learn skills, they put you.
But when I think about choir, Ifeel like a lot of the same
(04:13):
lessons that you know you learnin the sports team, like
teamwork, listening, listeningto, like paying attention to
each other, um, you know, justfiguring out how like parts fit
together and working onsomething towards a common goal.
Chris (04:26):
Like, yeah, I think choir offers a lot of that, but
anyway, sure does, sure does.
Avery Friedman (04:30):
Excellent.
Chris (04:31):
Yeah, yeah.
And what were the first thingsevery day, like in those years,
that you were listening to, likedid?
You were singing in the choir,but I'm sure you were inspired
also by musicians that youlistened to on the radio or on
whatever medium you had.
What were some of those earlykind of like sparks that started
when you heard certainmusicians bands, play?
Avery Friedman (04:52):
Yeah, I mean, I grew up in my mom listened
basically only to country and mydad listened to classic rock,
so I didn't really realize othermusic exists beyond those two
things and pop on the radio.
But I remember I think it was2011, my freshman year of high
school, maybe I heard, um thissong called Towers by Bon Iver
(05:12):
from the title Bon Iver recordand it just is has like a
beautiful guitar hook but thenhe's singing in his like classic
falsetto and it's like so fulland so lush and he he always has
a lot of vocal harmony in hissongs and I just remember being
like whoa, what, what is this?
Um?
So that's like the first song Iremember really like falling in
(05:34):
love with.
Chris (05:35):
uh right, did you have thoughts of hey, like imagining
maybe I could do this one day,like had those seeds started to
blossom inside you a bit?
Avery Friedman (05:45):
I mean it's so crazy.
Like I did not even startthinking about that until a few
years ago.
I I sang in choir.
I did learn to play guitar inhigh school, like vaguely, when
I tore my ACL playing soccer andI couldn't like a year, and so
I learned.
I took a few guitar lessons butI actually quit because my
teacher tried to make me singand I was, so I just I was
(06:06):
really petrified of singing infront of people.
Like I couldn't try out for asolo for a really long time in
choir.
You know it's.
Chris (06:14):
That's just anxiety, just feeling of like, yeah, the
nerves.
Avery Friedman (06:18):
Like raw and exposed, I think, because music
always made me feel so much.
I think being witnessed likewithin that feeling was really
scary for me.
You know, I was a goalie insoccer, so it's like.
It's not like I was totallyaverse to being in the spotlight
in some way, but I was really,really scared.
So I didn't, I did not considerthat a possibility at all, but
(06:40):
I just.
What happened was I just becamelike a huge fan.
So I like like incessantlylisten to these songs.
I went to a bunch of shows.
I in college, I became a musicwriter.
I went to the University of.
Michigan and I wrote like musicreviews and reviews of concerts
and the part of the organizationon campus that brought concerts
to to school, and so I justreally like immerse myself in
(07:03):
the music world but just never,you know, learn to play songs
that I loved on guitar but Inever thought that I would be
performing or writing.
Yeah.
Chris (07:13):
And what did you like so much about that?
That aspect in college whenyou're writing reviews and
concert reviews and stuff likethat.
I used to do that too inuniversity.
I loved it.
It's so much fun.
What, what did it bring youLike?
What was the satisfaction in itfor you?
Avery Friedman (07:27):
I mean it's funny.
You can probably relate too,because you know I've also
hosted a few podcasts and like Ilove to talk to musicians
because but I was always tryingto well, I think, when I got to
review things that I loved, Ireally liked to sort of
understand what.
What about it?
I liked and try to put to wordslike a description, to describe
(07:49):
what was so beautiful about itor what, specifically for me,
like made me feel things.
So I like to listen reallyclosely and sort of like pick
apart parts of the production or, like reviewing concerts, I
like to analyze aspect ofperformance that was really you
know, really it was really cool.
I mean it's, it's funny, it'slike a common.
(08:09):
I think like, yeah, it's somuch more comfortable for me to
like be really moved bysomething when I feel like I
really understand what's goingon right, that makes sense.
Chris (08:22):
And also yeah, for also the way to be around it too, so
yeah, yeah, it's funny thoughyou say that too, because I've
had the same experiences likehow do you put emotions into
words you know that areeffective that grab at that like
the guts of it or the crux ofwhat that song or record or show
is.
It's really not an easy task.
I remember, like this is allprior, you know AI, where you
(08:46):
could just like write me a texton this, like you have to think
about the details and like whatis this feeling that I'm feeling
when I hear these or that lineor the transition or the voice,
or it's not an easy task.
Avery Friedman (09:01):
Not at all.
It's not an easy task, not atall.
And I was an English literaturemajor in college and so there
was a lot of like close readingand paying, really, you know,
dissecting sort of sentences andimagery and all this stuff.
And you know, I remember likeeven taking English classes in
high school, just being likecould the author really have
been like thinking about allthis when they wrote this?
(09:23):
You know, like just being like.
Aren't we do?
You think we're kind of likeprescribing a bit onto this?
But you know, I just I justfound so much value from like
paying very close attention andlike thinking about, yeah, the
effect that choices in art have,whether you know, oh, because
you know because, and I thinksometimes probably artists when
(09:46):
they create and listeners whenthey consume music, like it's
probably not all intentional,probably they aren't, I know
from experience, like it's not,like I'm like I'm going to put
this one note here to makesomeone get a goose bump, you
know.
Or it's like when I'm listeningto something, it may not be
specifically because of thatlyric or something, but it does
(10:10):
feel cool and valuable just to.
It feels like an act of notlike devotion kind of, but an
act of like honoring something,to pay really close attention to
it, which is what that feltlike to me.
Chris (10:21):
Well, which I think would serve you tremendously well
when it came to starting towrite your own stuff.
Yeah, can you tell us a littlebit about how that started,
because I know that I read yourpress release and that you only
started performing in 2024, thesummer of 2024, like not even a
(10:41):
year ago, is that?
Avery Friedman (10:43):
I think.
I think potentially it wassummer of 2023.
That could have been a miss,but yeah, my first show was July
2023, so almost almost twoyears ago was my first show.
It was like a back backyardshow.
Um, yeah, I was looking on yourblog.
I saw that you have talked toHemlock Carolina.
Yes, yes yeah, she awesome.
(11:03):
But Carolina was looking for aplace to have a house show for
their friend in New York and Iplayed on that show.
It was my first show and I wasfreaking out.
Oh yeah, sorry, what was yourquestion?
Chris (11:17):
Well, like how you start, how you got into it, so like, I
guess I'll, I'll, I'll.
I'll nail down a little bitmore what's your songwriting
process like?
Like, how do you go aboutgetting an idea and then
actually creating the structurearound it, the song?
Do you have a process that youtend to follow.
Avery Friedman (11:36):
When I first decided like a few things in my
life happened that made me belike I need to start writing
songs.
Like I need to at least try orelse I'm going to regret it.
Like I'm going start writingsongs, I need to at least try,
or else I'm going to regret it.
I'm going to have regrets For awhile, it was a very conscious
choice where I was like, okay,maybe for the first I literally
remember the first time in mylife that I played a chord
progression and tried to humsomething over it.
(11:57):
I was like, how have I waited26 years to do this?
What the hell Crazy.
It felt like a true blockageyeah and once I sort of and I
took some classes and I made asort of practice out of it, but
then it became this thing whereI think that my favorite songs
I've written, I've sort of hadlike a some sort of anxious
(12:21):
feeling, some type of like, orI'm having some big feeling that
when I have like a big feelingthat I I get overwhelmed,
overwhelmed and I can't quiteunderstand it or I don't really
know what's going on, or like Ijust feel vaguely overwhelmed, I
get like meta overwhelmedbecause I'm like why can't I
understand what's happening?
But I've a my some of myfavorite songs on this record
(12:44):
because these are my, my firstsongs are ones that, like I
would be hit with a sort ofnegative feeling and just sit
down and, usually on the guitarfirst, try to I'd find like a
chord progression that I likedand a way of playing it that
felt expressive of what I waspresently feeling and, you know,
would either have like onephrase, like a lyric that I
(13:06):
would, you know, start singingmelodies over, but yeah, it's
usually a chord progressionfirst and then a sort of like
back and forth of maybe I havelike one stanza or one you know
of lyric and then work out themelody, or vice versa.
(13:26):
Yeah, but it's often guitarfirst for me.
Right, and then kind of singingor or making a noise with your
voice over top to kind of see ifyou could weave a melody in
there exactly and like maybeI'll have like one line that I
know kind of feelsrepresentative of what's going
on and I'll sort of like repeatthat or yeah, and it'll be a
(13:48):
sort of like back and forth oflike evolving the, the melody
and what I'm singing, and sortof like plugging in lyrics to
that.
Because it's funny, sometimesI'll hit a wall and be like you
know, I'll write a verse and belike okay, I want the, I want it
to sound slightly different forthe second verse, but I can't
even like unlock that part untilI have written it, like because
(14:09):
it's like you know, I'll wantit to be reflective of the
lyrics and like where the storyof the song is going.
Um, right, yeah, so it becomesa sort of back and forth, I
think after, after that, yeahright, right and.
Chris (14:21):
And when do you know you're on to something like?
When do you know a series ofchords together, you know the
humming over top, where it'slike, okay, I'm gonna keep
working on this because I reallyfeel it has legs to it as
opposed to one.
That would be just like I'mgoing to shelve that, because I
just don't know where I'm goingwith it right now.
Yeah, how do you know thatfeeling?
Avery Friedman (14:42):
That's a.
That's a great question and Ithink it kind of relates to, I
feel like, what, coincidentally,we were talking about with
music writing and understandinghow things come together.
I think the act of actuallycreating music is like the one
area of my life where I think,or not, one area, like a place
(15:03):
where I believe that like andjust to trust my feeling, where
it's like if, if I like this andif I want like, if it's stuck
in my head, or like I writesomething, then I want to keep
playing it.
Or you know, if the chordprogression like yeah, just if
it, if it makes me want to keepgoing, basically, uh right, you
(15:25):
know, and which is cool, becauseI think that that can be.
I can be a bit logic-brained abit or have problems sort of
seeing something through unlessit seems like it makes complete
sense, but knowing that whatmakes good art isn't necessarily
like logical consistency, it'sjust the sensation of like
(15:47):
wanting more honestly.
Chris (15:48):
Yeah, absolutely.
Avery Friedman (15:49):
Or feeling like you want to return to something
more honestly, absolutely, orfeeling like you want to return
to something um.
But it's also been cool becausestuff that I maybe shelf,
shelve and I view it as sort oflike a bank.
You know, like first first songI ever wrote, like I it didn't
go anywhere, um, but all theother ones I wrote after on this
record, but I recently, like afew weeks ago, was like you know
(16:11):
, I liked that whole chordprogression, like I wonder if I
could just repurpose that,basically, and write a whole new
song different melody,different lyrics, and I wrote a
song that I really love fromthis the chord progressions of
the first song I ever wrote.
So it's also cool to trust that, even if it's not immediately
put to use in a song that I'mobsessed with, that it still has
(16:33):
been unearthed and like maybe Ican like pluck it in somewhere
else in the future.
Chris (16:38):
That's so cool.
I was talking actually withCalifoon yesterday and with Tim
and he said similar thing toyours.
But he will go after any kindof like field recording, like
you know, recording like he wastalking about recording air
conditioner sound, just the hum,and then tuning his guitar to
(16:58):
that hum and then writing a songabout it, you know it's amazing
.
Avery Friedman (17:02):
That's because it's like a drone yeah,
absolutely.
Chris (17:04):
I just thought that was so brilliant, but it made me, it
reminded me, when you you saidthat that you, you find that
inspiration, you and you gatherthem, like musicians are like
gatherers of stuff, because younever know right, I want to go
back into that shelf and pullthat out.
I think it will fit great here.
Yeah, having that library, yeah.
Avery Friedman (17:24):
I used to want to be a journalist and I think
like it's cool to, and I'vealways like kind of kept a
journal and it's cool to thinkabout.
Yeah, it's cool to, and I'vealways kind of kept a journal
and it's cool to think about.
Yeah, now my voice memo appNever used it until two years
ago and now it's insane in therewith like, yeah, sound of a
stream, sound of footsteps onthe street, sound of fireflies.
(17:45):
So, yeah, I really relate tothat.
Chris (17:47):
Yeah, those are Sometimes really happy accidents happen,
right.
Avery Friedman (17:51):
Absolutely.
Yeah, Show that one.
Chris (17:53):
What was the first song on this record that you wrote?
Is it on the record the firstsong you ever wrote?
Is it does it appear, on on newtime, on new things right uh,
it does not.
Avery Friedman (18:03):
It was the song called bricks.
It did not appear on it, but um, like I think nervous was like
the second song I ever wroteright which is the last song on
the record.
New Thing was shortly after.
Chris (18:17):
Okay, now another question.
I have Anxiety, stress.
Yeah, it destabilizes us, right?
Avery Friedman (18:27):
Definitely.
Chris (18:27):
How did you combat that?
To get a guitar stand in frontof people and reveal yourself,
you know, like it's a, it'stotally you're, you're, you're
raw, right, it's there.
There's nowhere to hide.
How did you get to that like?
What did you have to do to inyour brain to be able to
accomplish that?
(18:48):
Because it's a hugeaccomplishment most people would
never, never appreciate that.
Avery Friedman (18:52):
Yeah, so many people do it, so it's hard to to
.
I I really do appreciate thatbecause it was, it was a feat.
Um, that year felt like such anexcavation for me in a lot of
ways, but I mean, first andforemost, like I was extremely
supported, but it by friends andum the person I was dating at
the time and like I was super,super supported and I'm so
(19:12):
grateful for that.
But I was so anxious that I waslike convinced that they were
lying, like not in a real way,but I was like they probably
just want me to like do mylittle dream, even like we're
gonna let her do this cute thing.
Chris (19:25):
Um, they don't really like any of it, they're just
like, yeah, they're just pullingthe blind over my eyes, yeah
sure um, so, yeah, I was supersupported and encouraged.
Avery Friedman (19:35):
Uh, I I also have this like little post-it
before my first show, my onefriend was like, because I'm
trying things and winning like,I literally had to resort,
resort to like insane likegrounding things of like putting
no things on my mirror, just tolike take myself down from
irrational thoughts because,like in my head, I know that
(19:55):
like it's a beautiful thing totry.
Anyone who's ever triedsomething like I've never been
like that person is lame.
I've been like that's so cool.
Um, there was a lot of support,a lot of like just having to
like combat these anxiousthoughts with like what I
actually believe, which is thatthis is worth it, that there's
nothing to be embarrassed of,that it's like inspirational,
(20:18):
like that for other people, andthat, um, that nothing bad was
gonna happen to me, that justlike, worst case I flop and like
I become more resilient andlike, or worst case, I'm just
yeah um.
It's skill that you'redeveloping, right that you that
you determined I have to do this, yeah exposure therapy and I
also really trusted, like thefact that it was so petrifying
(20:41):
to me but I wanted to do itanyway.
Like that it was worth it.
Like more so that more than Iwas scared of like getting
rejected or feeling stupid forlike performing and not landing,
was like I was scared that Iwould never try this Cause I
just knew that I would alwaysregret it.
Like I just I didn't want toregret not trying it.
Chris (21:01):
Amazing, amazing.
I am so happy that you tookthat step.
Cause we get to benefit fromwhat you create now I'm so kind
of like you're just saying thatI'm not saying that I probably
listened to your record about 30times, and I'm not exaggerating
that's no and I find that thisrecord, listening to the whole
thing has to happen like pullingone song out.
(21:23):
It was just like why let's justlisten the whole thing over
again, because I find it flowsso beautifully as a piece in
itself.
I love how you sequence things,your songs, because one flows
into the next and forms the next.
It's just like this naturalprogression that happens.
When did you get to the point?
(21:44):
I have enough songs.
I want to put a record out.
How did you come toaccomplishing?
Avery Friedman (21:54):
this huge feat of putting out a record.
Thank you, yeah.
Well, first of all, thank youfor the the compliment on the
sequencing, because in some waysI feel like there's a lot of
different type of vibes on thisrecord and so I was a little
worried that maybe it wouldn'tbe cohesive, but I think that
there's enough through linesthat it makes sense.
So I appreciate that, um, but Idon't even remember the exact
moment.
Like I just started recordingwith my friend james, who
(22:16):
produced this, who plays leadguitar and other instruments on
on this record, and he's kindlywas just like I want to help you
record, and I think you know,eventually we just realized like
we never explicitly were likethis is going to be an ep or
this is going to be a recordeventually Eventually just
realized we had even cut a songLike so we, we realized we had
enough songs and we're justgoing to go out with a record,
(22:38):
which I guess is like not supercommon.
I think a lot of people willrelease EPs or singles shorter
form you know collections beforethis, but I don't know,
suddenly I just had a record'sworth of stuff and then we were
signed up to finish it.
Chris (22:52):
So that's great, yeah, and what were some of the great
lessons that you learned, as inthis process, because you were
involved in every step of theway.
Am I correct in saying that?
Avery Friedman (23:03):
Yeah, I mean yes , so even like in the room, like
with this amazing masteringengineer, josh Bonatti, who's
done like a lot of huge artistsstuff, but yeah, I mean lots of
big lessons, I think the most,the biggest one, is just that
like I don't know, I reallyreally struggled to trust that
people, that this is worthpeople's time.
(23:24):
I was like so like, oh my god,like this is like such a gift to
me that anybody would want togive me their time and energy to
like work on this.
And so I think honest, and Iand I had to combat a lot of
sort of just insecurity andanxiety that I didn't feel in
other areas of my life, justbecause this felt so new, so
vulnerable.
(23:44):
I think it's like really rareas adults to try something
really really new.
That's very scary.
So it's something that we domore as kids.
But I think I learned to sort oftrust like the, the process of
creativity, of like even times Iwould leave recording and just
be like, oh, I feel like Icouldn't articulate myself.
(24:07):
I feel like I that was like Iwasted five of James's hours,
like you know, just having thesekinds of negative thoughts,
like he would send me a mix fromthe day and then I'd be like,
oh my God, like that's not sobad and like he would.
He would keep showing up withenthusiasm and we met each other
with a certain momentum, in away that felt like such a gift.
But I guess I, I guess thelesson is mostly just like not
(24:31):
panicking or quitting after animperfect time, because it all
felt so new and so magical to methat sometimes, if it didn't,
if I, if it was a harder day, Iwould question my whole thing.
Chris (24:47):
Right.
So I think I keep doing this,sir, exactly, and it turns out
those are all just like lessonsyou have to learn.
Avery Friedman (24:53):
Like you know, couldn't for photo booth, even
like we couldn't crack that songfor so long.
One day we just decided let'spretty much remove my guitar
playing from this entirely andjust fuck around on a synth and
see what happens, and then thesong came to life.
So it's yeah, just trustingthat those things like you can't
avoid the stickier moments andthat the people who you're meant
(25:13):
to collaborate with will stayin there with you, and so I'm
very grateful for that.
Chris (25:17):
That's amazing.
What a journey to go through aswell, because I mean, I'm sure
every musician, when they'refirst doing this, is questioning
you know and insecure and Idon't know about this.
And so if you were to look backa little bit rewind time,
you've put out two singles.
How do you feel people have?
Avery Friedman (25:38):
I mean, I think, well, like, I feel like it's
one of those things it's hard toexplain.
I don't know if this makessense, but it's like.
Even talking about this, Ithink it's probably evident to
you that this is a huge deal forme to just have this just for
myself, and massive it's massive, particularly if you're, if it
was never on your radar to liketwo years ago and it's like here
(26:00):
it is.
Chris (26:01):
I'm releasing a record in a month like amazing.
Avery Friedman (26:04):
It's simultaneously a huge feat for
me to have done this um, butalso it's also the most natural
thing in the world to me, likeit's the thing I know I will
never tire of.
So I feel like with that it's, Ihave a hard time even clocking
that like this is a big deal,you know for me totally and even
just that someone wants to talkto me about my music like that
(26:25):
is something that I could havenever imagined a year ago, and
so I think they've been receivedreally well and I think it's
also like in my brain it's somuch of like I can't even
believe that I did this, but Ithink other people it's.
They're just like oh my god,yeah, you released a song that I
love, and so it's almost likethe fact that it's inherently
(26:46):
legitimate in their, in theirbrain, their perception.
Or people that I've met laterin the past year, like who know
me just as a musician, likesomeone recently was like, oh
yeah, like you're a singer, andI was like, well, yeah, I also
like have a like, have a job,you know, um, so to even adopt
the identity like it's cool tome that it is, it makes sense to
(27:07):
other people that, like this ismy trajectory, so totally
grateful for that yeah so good,avery, I love your words like,
and this journey that you're on.
Chris (27:16):
I think that, like starting, musicians listening to
this conversation are going tobe like I can fucking do this.
Avery Friedman (27:22):
I can do this.
Be like I can fucking do this,I can do this.
Chris (27:25):
I'm scared as hell, and I I'm anxious.
My got sweaty palms.
I'm like sweating all the time,not sleeping like yeah.
Yeah, I'm going to do it.
So the release is coming up.
What, what, what is theanticipation towards the release
?
And then, what?
What does the rest of the yearhold with this record?
And you and shows, and yeah,like, where are you going with
(27:49):
this in 2025, with this newlaunch of new thing?
Avery Friedman (27:53):
yeah, I mean it's I've been thinking about
like it's, it's cool releasingsingles.
It allows so much attention tobe on one song, but I'm really
like excited to see how peoplerespond to other songs on this
record.
Like I think there's a widerange and I'm just looking
forward to seeing what resonateswith people and I'm like I hope
people listen to the wholething.
I've been thinking of ways thatI could like honor talking
(28:14):
about you know we've we talkedabout in the beginning each song
.
Is this like maybe write alittle something about each and
publish it somewhere?
Um, I don't know.
So I'm really excited for it tocome out, for people to hear
the full range.
Um, and then I'm doing an albumrelease show in may and may
15th at union pool.
So I'm excited about that.
Um.
And then rest of the year tbd.
(28:35):
I I hope like a dream would beto go on a small tour.
Um, haven't sorted any of thatyet.
And then I would love to, youknow, start recording again
right, right.
Chris (28:46):
Does the song writing continue anyway, like?
Avery Friedman (28:49):
songwriting continues on 100.
Chris (28:51):
Yeah, yeah, I've got some , so things are percolating, uh
I mean, I guess it's you aregetting ready for this launch
and stuff, because I mean, likesaid, it's a huge accomplishment
, deserves to be recognized andand celebrated but, the idea of
of the machine.
The machine's going to keeprolling Like I hope to, I hope
(29:12):
to keep rolling.
Avery Friedman (29:13):
I that's.
The biggest gift is that Ithink that this is something
that I will never like put backaway for long.
Yeah.
Chris (29:19):
Amazing, good, good.
Well, I really appreciate youtaking some time and I really
enjoyed your stories of of yourjourney so far and I am so
excited for you, for for Aprilit's a full record like
listeners like get the wholething.
One bleeds into the next.
It's just a complete, reallysolid outing.
(29:40):
If you can get a show in, gosee her support as much as you
can um.
Is this coming out on vinyl?
Are you just doing digital fornow?
Avery Friedman (29:49):
it is coming out on vinyl and tape.
Nice, yeah, so vinyl will be afew months after um.
Chris (29:55):
So yeah, we'll have to get our hands on one of those,
that's for sure thank you somuch.
Avery Friedman (30:00):
I really enjoyed this interview.
I feel like you're a verypresent and thoughtful
interviewer, so I appreciatethat well, I appreciate that.
Chris (30:06):
Um, this has been a lot of fun.
All the best with the newrecord people coming in april.
New thing um avery friedman,amazing um all the best, and I
hope that you come back oncethose songs that are percolating
are set to be released again.
Avery Friedman (30:22):
I surely will.
Chris (30:23):
I promise, thank you.
Thanks so much.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Who is God?
The flowers fell off when I wasasleep, but it's okay, cause
now it's all green.
The flowers fell off when I wasasleep, but it's okay, cause
(31:28):
now it's all green Green.
Cause now it's all green Green.
Avenue Footsteps sound the sameand you Were looking down at
(31:48):
your shoes and we Couldn't stopkissing On the roof, on the roof
Sidewalks for a booth.
(32:13):
The flowers fell off when I wasasleep, but it's okay, cause
now it's all green.
The flowers fell off when I wasasleep, but it's okay, cause
(32:37):
now it's all green Green.
These trees Mark twelve seasonspast.
With this view, a summerbalcony.
(32:58):
Need a knee Grocery list on thephone.
I don't Sit next to year.
No more, no more.
The flowers fell off when I wasasleep, but it's okay, cause
(33:33):
now it's all green.
The flowers fell off when I wasasleep, but it's okay, cause
now it's all green Green.
So breathe, breathe, breathe,thank you.
All right, here we are people.
Another episode of FBU, apodcast.
Season five is progressingalong and as we progress the
weather is getting nicer andnicer here in the East Coast of
North America Bring it on spring, you can smell it.
And today I have Avery Friedmancoming in from Brooklyn and she
(01:05):
just is about to put out herfirst record called New Thing,
and I just got the privilege ofhaving her come on and we're
going to talk all about NewThing but also about her music
and how it started and all thosefun things.
Avery, thank you for acceptingthis invite.
I am so happy to have you joinand share an episode with you.
Avery Friedman (01:26):
Yeah, thank you so much.
I'm touched to be asked.
I appreciate it.
Chris (01:30):
Well, you need some well-deserved attention because
you got two singles out so faroff of this record coming out
April people, april 2025.
So keep it on your radar.
But there's a couple of singlesout already uh, flower fell and
also phone booth, which are twogreat songs.
But I was able, through umavery's uh guy um, to get the
(01:53):
record and I got to listen to itand it's well worth the wait
and, uh, you'll definitely wantto get this one when it comes
out.
So, avery, the, I always loveto start off just a little bit
about you, where it all startedand like when did music start to
become something of interest toyou in your formative years?
Avery Friedman (02:12):
Yeah, I always was super drawn to music.
I think growing up we were Igrew up in Ohio and we were, we,
I think we had to be in choirwhen we were young and like
fourth grade and I really,really loved it and I remember,
like I have a specific formativememory of uh, we had to sing
(02:33):
carol of the bells, thatchristmas song, and um, we just,
I think, had two parts likealto and soprano.
I think, even like the, thelittle boys were either altos or
sopranos.
Their voices are so high andeveryone, like nobody, wanted to
be an alto, because it's notthe part of the song that you
recognize.
But, it's not the like da da, dada, but I was an alto and I
(02:58):
really loved it.
Like I realized I really loveharmony and I love just the sort
of bodily feeling of singingwith people and yeah,
specifically harmony I've alwaysbeen super drawn to and um.
I remember like the first musicI really loved I felt like made
me feel how being in choiralways made me feel um, but
(03:19):
choir is such a great thingthough?
Chris (03:20):
eh, because as a kid, like, if you're interested in
music, I mean you're not goingto start a band at like eight,
nine, ten, right?
Yeah, like choir.
Avery Friedman (03:30):
Like I've spoken to many musicians that that's
their origin story is singingtogether in a choir, which is
very very typical for formusicians yeah, when I think
about it, it you know, it knowit offers a because you know a
big, a big reason I didn't diveinto music, like writing and
performing myself for so longOne was because I was extremely
(03:51):
anxious about performing.
I was not not excited aboutthat, but also because I was a
big soccer player in high schooland prior.
But I think that just felt likethe kind of thing that in where
I grew up know, when yourparents want you to work hard at
something and like learn skills, they put you.
But when I think about choir, Ifeel like a lot of the same
(04:13):
lessons that you know you learnin the sports team, like
teamwork, listening, listeningto, like paying attention to
each other, um, you know, justfiguring out how like parts fit
together and working onsomething towards a common goal.
Chris (04:26):
Like, yeah, I think choir offers a lot of that, but
anyway, sure does, sure does.
Avery Friedman (04:30):
Excellent.
Chris (04:31):
Yeah, yeah.
And what were the first thingsevery day, like in those years,
that you were listening to, likedid?
You were singing in the choir,but I'm sure you were inspired
also by musicians that youlistened to on the radio or on
whatever medium you had.
What were some of those earlykind of like sparks that started
when you heard certainmusicians bands, play?
Avery Friedman (04:52):
Yeah, I mean, I grew up in my mom listened
basically only to country and mydad listened to classic rock,
so I didn't really realize othermusic exists beyond those two
things and pop on the radio.
But I remember I think it was2011, my freshman year of high
school, maybe I heard, um thissong called Towers by Bon Iver
(05:12):
from the title Bon Iver recordand it just is has like a
beautiful guitar hook but thenhe's singing in his like classic
falsetto and it's like so fulland so lush and he he always has
a lot of vocal harmony in hissongs and I just remember being
like whoa, what, what is this?
Um?
So that's like the first song Iremember really like falling in
(05:34):
love with.
Chris (05:35):
uh right, did you have thoughts of hey, like imagining
maybe I could do this one day,like had those seeds started to
blossom inside you a bit?
Avery Friedman (05:45):
I mean it's so crazy.
Like I did not even startthinking about that until a few
years ago.
I I sang in choir.
I did learn to play guitar inhigh school, like vaguely, when
I tore my ACL playing soccer andI couldn't like a year, and so
I learned.
I took a few guitar lessons butI actually quit because my
teacher tried to make me singand I was, so I just I was
(06:06):
really petrified of singing infront of people.
Like I couldn't try out for asolo for a really long time in
choir.
You know it's.
Chris (06:14):
That's just anxiety, just feeling of like, yeah, the
nerves.
Avery Friedman (06:18):
Like raw and exposed, I think, because music
always made me feel so much.
I think being witnessed likewithin that feeling was really
scary for me.
You know, I was a goalie insoccer, so it's like.
It's not like I was totallyaverse to being in the spotlight
in some way, but I was really,really scared.
So I didn't, I did not considerthat a possibility at all, but
(06:40):
I just.
What happened was I just becamelike a huge fan.
So I like like incessantlylisten to these songs.
I went to a bunch of shows.
I in college, I became a musicwriter.
I went to the University of.
Michigan and I wrote like musicreviews and reviews of concerts
and the part of the organizationon campus that brought concerts
to to school, and so I justreally like immerse myself in
(07:03):
the music world but just never,you know, learn to play songs
that I loved on guitar but Inever thought that I would be
performing or writing.
Yeah.
Chris (07:13):
And what did you like so much about that?
That aspect in college whenyou're writing reviews and
concert reviews and stuff likethat.
I used to do that too inuniversity.
I loved it.
It's so much fun.
What, what did it bring youLike?
What was the satisfaction in itfor you?
Avery Friedman (07:27):
I mean it's funny.
You can probably relate too,because you know I've also
hosted a few podcasts and like Ilove to talk to musicians
because but I was always tryingto well, I think, when I got to
review things that I loved, Ireally liked to sort of
understand what.
What about it?
I liked and try to put to wordslike a description, to describe
(07:49):
what was so beautiful about itor what, specifically for me,
like made me feel things.
So I like to listen reallyclosely and sort of like pick
apart parts of the production or, like reviewing concerts, I
like to analyze aspect ofperformance that was really you
know, really it was really cool.
I mean it's, it's funny, it'slike a common.
(08:09):
I think like, yeah, it's somuch more comfortable for me to
like be really moved bysomething when I feel like I
really understand what's goingon right, that makes sense.
Chris (08:22):
And also yeah, for also the way to be around it too, so
yeah, yeah, it's funny thoughyou say that too, because I've
had the same experiences likehow do you put emotions into
words you know that areeffective that grab at that like
the guts of it or the crux ofwhat that song or record or show
is.
It's really not an easy task.
I remember, like this is allprior, you know AI, where you
(08:46):
could just like write me a texton this, like you have to think
about the details and like whatis this feeling that I'm feeling
when I hear these or that lineor the transition or the voice,
or it's not an easy task.
Avery Friedman (09:01):
Not at all.
It's not an easy task, not atall.
And I was an English literaturemajor in college and so there
was a lot of like close readingand paying, really, you know,
dissecting sort of sentences andimagery and all this stuff.
And you know, I remember likeeven taking English classes in
high school, just being likecould the author really have
been like thinking about allthis when they wrote this?
(09:23):
You know, like just being like.
Aren't we do?
You think we're kind of likeprescribing a bit onto this?
But you know, I just I justfound so much value from like
paying very close attention andlike thinking about, yeah, the
effect that choices in art have,whether you know, oh, because
you know because, and I thinksometimes probably artists when
(09:46):
they create and listeners whenthey consume music, like it's
probably not all intentional,probably they aren't, I know
from experience, like it's not,like I'm like I'm going to put
this one note here to makesomeone get a goose bump, you
know.
Or it's like when I'm listeningto something, it may not be
specifically because of thatlyric or something, but it does
(10:10):
feel cool and valuable just to.
It feels like an act of notlike devotion kind of, but an
act of like honoring something,to pay really close attention to
it, which is what that feltlike to me.
Chris (10:21):
Well, which I think would serve you tremendously well
when it came to starting towrite your own stuff.
Yeah, can you tell us a littlebit about how that started,
because I know that I read yourpress release and that you only
started performing in 2024, thesummer of 2024, like not even a
(10:41):
year ago, is that?
Avery Friedman (10:43):
I think.
I think potentially it wassummer of 2023.
That could have been a miss,but yeah, my first show was July
2023, so almost almost twoyears ago was my first show.
It was like a back backyardshow.
Um, yeah, I was looking on yourblog.
I saw that you have talked toHemlock Carolina.
Yes, yes yeah, she awesome.
(11:03):
But Carolina was looking for aplace to have a house show for
their friend in New York and Iplayed on that show.
It was my first show and I wasfreaking out.
Oh yeah, sorry, what was yourquestion?
Chris (11:17):
Well, like how you start, how you got into it, so like, I
guess I'll, I'll, I'll.
I'll nail down a little bitmore what's your songwriting
process like?
Like, how do you go aboutgetting an idea and then
actually creating the structurearound it, the song?
Do you have a process that youtend to follow.
Avery Friedman (11:36):
When I first decided like a few things in my
life happened that made me belike I need to start writing
songs.
Like I need to at least try orelse I'm going to regret it.
Like I'm going start writingsongs, I need to at least try,
or else I'm going to regret it.
I'm going to have regrets For awhile, it was a very conscious
choice where I was like, okay,maybe for the first I literally
remember the first time in mylife that I played a chord
progression and tried to humsomething over it.
(11:57):
I was like, how have I waited26 years to do this?
What the hell Crazy.
It felt like a true blockageyeah and once I sort of and I
took some classes and I made asort of practice out of it, but
then it became this thing whereI think that my favorite songs
I've written, I've sort of hadlike a some sort of anxious
(12:21):
feeling, some type of like, orI'm having some big feeling that
when I have like a big feelingthat I I get overwhelmed,
overwhelmed and I can't quiteunderstand it or I don't really
know what's going on, or like Ijust feel vaguely overwhelmed, I
get like meta overwhelmedbecause I'm like why can't I
understand what's happening?
But I've a my some of myfavorite songs on this record
(12:44):
because these are my, my firstsongs are ones that, like I
would be hit with a sort ofnegative feeling and just sit
down and, usually on the guitarfirst, try to I'd find like a
chord progression that I likedand a way of playing it that
felt expressive of what I waspresently feeling and, you know,
would either have like onephrase, like a lyric that I
(13:06):
would, you know, start singingmelodies over, but yeah, it's
usually a chord progressionfirst and then a sort of like
back and forth of maybe I havelike one stanza or one you know
of lyric and then work out themelody, or vice versa.
(13:26):
Yeah, but it's often guitarfirst for me.
Right, and then kind of singingor or making a noise with your
voice over top to kind of see ifyou could weave a melody in
there exactly and like maybeI'll have like one line that I
know kind of feelsrepresentative of what's going
on and I'll sort of like repeatthat or yeah, and it'll be a
(13:48):
sort of like back and forth oflike evolving the, the melody
and what I'm singing, and sortof like plugging in lyrics to
that.
Because it's funny, sometimesI'll hit a wall and be like you
know, I'll write a verse and belike okay, I want the, I want it
to sound slightly different forthe second verse, but I can't
even like unlock that part untilI have written it, like because
(14:09):
it's like you know, I'll wantit to be reflective of the
lyrics and like where the storyof the song is going.
Um, right, yeah, so it becomesa sort of back and forth, I
think after, after that, yeahright, right and.
Chris (14:21):
And when do you know you're on to something like?
When do you know a series ofchords together, you know the
humming over top, where it'slike, okay, I'm gonna keep
working on this because I reallyfeel it has legs to it as
opposed to one.
That would be just like I'mgoing to shelve that, because I
just don't know where I'm goingwith it right now.
Yeah, how do you know thatfeeling?
Avery Friedman (14:42):
That's a.
That's a great question and Ithink it kind of relates to, I
feel like, what, coincidentally,we were talking about with
music writing and understandinghow things come together.
I think the act of actuallycreating music is like the one
area of my life where I think,or not, one area, like a place
(15:03):
where I believe that like andjust to trust my feeling, where
it's like if, if I like this andif I want like, if it's stuck
in my head, or like I writesomething, then I want to keep
playing it.
Or you know, if the chordprogression like yeah, just if
it, if it makes me want to keepgoing, basically, uh right, you
(15:25):
know, and which is cool, becauseI think that that can be.
I can be a bit logic-brained abit or have problems sort of
seeing something through unlessit seems like it makes complete
sense, but knowing that whatmakes good art isn't necessarily
like logical consistency, it'sjust the sensation of like
(15:47):
wanting more honestly.
Chris (15:48):
Yeah, absolutely.
Avery Friedman (15:49):
Or feeling like you want to return to something
more honestly, absolutely, orfeeling like you want to return
to something um.
But it's also been cool becausestuff that I maybe shelf,
shelve and I view it as sort oflike a bank.
You know, like first first songI ever wrote, like I it didn't
go anywhere, um, but all theother ones I wrote after on this
record, but I recently, like afew weeks ago, was like you know
(16:11):
, I liked that whole chordprogression, like I wonder if I
could just repurpose that,basically, and write a whole new
song different melody,different lyrics, and I wrote a
song that I really love fromthis the chord progressions of
the first song I ever wrote.
So it's also cool to trust that, even if it's not immediately
put to use in a song that I'mobsessed with, that it still has
(16:33):
been unearthed and like maybe Ican like pluck it in somewhere
else in the future.
Chris (16:38):
That's so cool.
I was talking actually withCalifoon yesterday and with Tim
and he said similar thing toyours.
But he will go after any kindof like field recording, like
you know, recording like he wastalking about recording air
conditioner sound, just the hum,and then tuning his guitar to
(16:58):
that hum and then writing a songabout it, you know it's amazing
.
Avery Friedman (17:02):
That's because it's like a drone yeah,
absolutely.
Chris (17:04):
I just thought that was so brilliant, but it made me, it
reminded me, when you you saidthat that you, you find that
inspiration, you and you gatherthem, like musicians are like
gatherers of stuff, because younever know right, I want to go
back into that shelf and pullthat out.
I think it will fit great here.
Yeah, having that library, yeah.
Avery Friedman (17:24):
I used to want to be a journalist and I think
like it's cool to, and I'vealways like kind of kept a
journal and it's cool to thinkabout.
Yeah, it's cool to, and I'vealways kind of kept a journal
and it's cool to think about.
Yeah, now my voice memo appNever used it until two years
ago and now it's insane in therewith like, yeah, sound of a
stream, sound of footsteps onthe street, sound of fireflies.
(17:45):
So, yeah, I really relate tothat.
Chris (17:47):
Yeah, those are Sometimes really happy accidents happen,
right.
Avery Friedman (17:51):
Absolutely.
Yeah, Show that one.
Chris (17:53):
What was the first song on this record that you wrote?
Is it on the record the firstsong you ever wrote?
Is it does it appear, on on newtime, on new things right uh,
it does not.
Avery Friedman (18:03):
It was the song called bricks.
It did not appear on it, but um, like I think nervous was like
the second song I ever wroteright which is the last song on
the record.
New Thing was shortly after.
Chris (18:17):
Okay, now another question.
I have Anxiety, stress.
Yeah, it destabilizes us, right?
Avery Friedman (18:27):
Definitely.
Chris (18:27):
How did you combat that?
To get a guitar stand in frontof people and reveal yourself,
you know, like it's a, it'stotally you're, you're, you're
raw, right, it's there.
There's nowhere to hide.
How did you get to that like?
What did you have to do to inyour brain to be able to
accomplish that?
(18:48):
Because it's a hugeaccomplishment most people would
never, never appreciate that.
Avery Friedman (18:52):
Yeah, so many people do it, so it's hard to to
.
I I really do appreciate thatbecause it was, it was a feat.
Um, that year felt like such anexcavation for me in a lot of
ways, but I mean, first andforemost, like I was extremely
supported, but it by friends andum the person I was dating at
the time and like I was super,super supported and I'm so
(19:12):
grateful for that.
But I was so anxious that I waslike convinced that they were
lying, like not in a real way,but I was like they probably
just want me to like do mylittle dream, even like we're
gonna let her do this cute thing.
Chris (19:25):
Um, they don't really like any of it, they're just
like, yeah, they're just pullingthe blind over my eyes, yeah
sure um, so, yeah, I was supersupported and encouraged.
Avery Friedman (19:35):
Uh, I I also have this like little post-it
before my first show, my onefriend was like, because I'm
trying things and winning like,I literally had to resort,
resort to like insane likegrounding things of like putting
no things on my mirror, just tolike take myself down from
irrational thoughts because,like in my head, I know that
(19:55):
like it's a beautiful thing totry.
Anyone who's ever triedsomething like I've never been
like that person is lame.
I've been like that's so cool.
Um, there was a lot of support,a lot of like just having to
like combat these anxiousthoughts with like what I
actually believe, which is thatthis is worth it, that there's
nothing to be embarrassed of,that it's like inspirational,
(20:18):
like that for other people, andthat, um, that nothing bad was
gonna happen to me, that justlike, worst case I flop and like
I become more resilient andlike, or worst case, I'm just
yeah um.
It's skill that you'redeveloping, right that you that
you determined I have to do this, yeah exposure therapy and I
also really trusted, like thefact that it was so petrifying
(20:41):
to me but I wanted to do itanyway.
Like that it was worth it.
Like more so that more than Iwas scared of like getting
rejected or feeling stupid forlike performing and not landing,
was like I was scared that Iwould never try this Cause I
just knew that I would alwaysregret it.
Like I just I didn't want toregret not trying it.
Chris (21:01):
Amazing, amazing.
I am so happy that you tookthat step.
Cause we get to benefit fromwhat you create now I'm so kind
of like you're just saying thatI'm not saying that I probably
listened to your record about 30times, and I'm not exaggerating
that's no and I find that thisrecord, listening to the whole
thing has to happen like pullingone song out.
(21:23):
It was just like why let's justlisten the whole thing over
again, because I find it flowsso beautifully as a piece in
itself.
I love how you sequence things,your songs, because one flows
into the next and forms the next.
It's just like this naturalprogression that happens.
When did you get to the point?
(21:44):
I have enough songs.
I want to put a record out.
How did you come toaccomplishing?
Avery Friedman (21:54):
this huge feat of putting out a record.
Thank you, yeah.
Well, first of all, thank youfor the the compliment on the
sequencing, because in some waysI feel like there's a lot of
different type of vibes on thisrecord and so I was a little
worried that maybe it wouldn'tbe cohesive, but I think that
there's enough through linesthat it makes sense.
So I appreciate that, um, but Idon't even remember the exact
moment.
Like I just started recordingwith my friend james, who
(22:16):
produced this, who plays leadguitar and other instruments on
on this record, and he's kindlywas just like I want to help you
record, and I think you know,eventually we just realized like
we never explicitly were likethis is going to be an ep or
this is going to be a recordeventually Eventually just
realized we had even cut a songLike so we, we realized we had
enough songs and we're justgoing to go out with a record,
(22:38):
which I guess is like not supercommon.
I think a lot of people willrelease EPs or singles shorter
form you know collections beforethis, but I don't know,
suddenly I just had a record'sworth of stuff and then we were
signed up to finish it.
Chris (22:52):
So that's great, yeah, and what were some of the great
lessons that you learned, as inthis process, because you were
involved in every step of theway.
Am I correct in saying that?
Avery Friedman (23:03):
Yeah, I mean yes , so even like in the room, like
with this amazing masteringengineer, josh Bonatti, who's
done like a lot of huge artistsstuff, but yeah, I mean lots of
big lessons, I think the most,the biggest one, is just that
like I don't know, I reallyreally struggled to trust that
people, that this is worthpeople's time.
(23:24):
I was like so like, oh my god,like this is like such a gift to
me that anybody would want togive me their time and energy to
like work on this.
And so I think honest, and Iand I had to combat a lot of
sort of just insecurity andanxiety that I didn't feel in
other areas of my life, justbecause this felt so new, so
vulnerable.
(23:44):
I think it's like really rareas adults to try something
really really new.
That's very scary.
So it's something that we domore as kids.
But I think I learned to sort oftrust like the, the process of
creativity, of like even times Iwould leave recording and just
be like, oh, I feel like Icouldn't articulate myself.
(24:07):
I feel like I that was like Iwasted five of James's hours,
like you know, just having thesekinds of negative thoughts,
like he would send me a mix fromthe day and then I'd be like,
oh my God, like that's not sobad and like he would.
He would keep showing up withenthusiasm and we met each other
with a certain momentum, in away that felt like such a gift.
But I guess I, I guess thelesson is mostly just like not
(24:31):
panicking or quitting after animperfect time, because it all
felt so new and so magical to methat sometimes, if it didn't,
if I, if it was a harder day, Iwould question my whole thing.
Chris (24:47):
Right.
So I think I keep doing this,sir, exactly, and it turns out
those are all just like lessonsyou have to learn.
Avery Friedman (24:53):
Like you know, couldn't for photo booth, even
like we couldn't crack that songfor so long.
One day we just decided let'spretty much remove my guitar
playing from this entirely andjust fuck around on a synth and
see what happens, and then thesong came to life.
So it's yeah, just trustingthat those things like you can't
avoid the stickier moments andthat the people who you're meant
(25:13):
to collaborate with will stayin there with you, and so I'm
very grateful for that.
Chris (25:17):
That's amazing.
What a journey to go through aswell, because I mean, I'm sure
every musician, when they'refirst doing this, is questioning
you know and insecure and Idon't know about this.
And so if you were to look backa little bit rewind time,
you've put out two singles.
How do you feel people have?
Avery Friedman (25:38):
I mean, I think, well, like, I feel like it's
one of those things it's hard toexplain.
I don't know if this makessense, but it's like.
Even talking about this, Ithink it's probably evident to
you that this is a huge deal forme to just have this just for
myself, and massive it's massive, particularly if you're, if it
was never on your radar to liketwo years ago and it's like here
(26:00):
it is.
Chris (26:01):
I'm releasing a record in a month like amazing.
Avery Friedman (26:04):
It's simultaneously a huge feat for
me to have done this um, butalso it's also the most natural
thing in the world to me, likeit's the thing I know I will
never tire of.
So I feel like with that it's, Ihave a hard time even clocking
that like this is a big deal,you know for me totally and even
just that someone wants to talkto me about my music like that
(26:25):
is something that I could havenever imagined a year ago, and
so I think they've been receivedreally well and I think it's
also like in my brain it's somuch of like I can't even
believe that I did this, but Ithink other people it's.
They're just like oh my god,yeah, you released a song that I
love, and so it's almost likethe fact that it's inherently
(26:46):
legitimate in their, in theirbrain, their perception.
Or people that I've met laterin the past year, like who know
me just as a musician, likesomeone recently was like, oh
yeah, like you're a singer, andI was like, well, yeah, I also
like have a like, have a job,you know, um, so to even adopt
the identity like it's cool tome that it is, it makes sense to
(27:07):
other people that, like this ismy trajectory, so totally
grateful for that yeah so good,avery, I love your words like,
and this journey that you're on.
Chris (27:16):
I think that, like starting, musicians listening to
this conversation are going tobe like I can fucking do this.
Avery Friedman (27:22):
I can do this.
Be like I can fucking do this,I can do this.
Chris (27:25):
I'm scared as hell, and I I'm anxious.
My got sweaty palms.
I'm like sweating all the time,not sleeping like yeah.
Yeah, I'm going to do it.
So the release is coming up.
What, what, what is theanticipation towards the release
?
And then, what?
What does the rest of the yearhold with this record?
And you and shows, and yeah,like, where are you going with
(27:49):
this in 2025, with this newlaunch of new thing?
Avery Friedman (27:53):
yeah, I mean it's I've been thinking about
like it's, it's cool releasingsingles.
It allows so much attention tobe on one song, but I'm really
like excited to see how peoplerespond to other songs on this
record.
Like I think there's a widerange and I'm just looking
forward to seeing what resonateswith people and I'm like I hope
people listen to the wholething.
I've been thinking of ways thatI could like honor talking
(28:14):
about you know we've we talkedabout in the beginning each song
.
Is this like maybe write alittle something about each and
publish it somewhere?
Um, I don't know.
So I'm really excited for it tocome out, for people to hear
the full range.
Um, and then I'm doing an albumrelease show in may and may
15th at union pool.
So I'm excited about that.
Um.
And then rest of the year tbd.
(28:35):
I I hope like a dream would beto go on a small tour.
Um, haven't sorted any of thatyet.
And then I would love to, youknow, start recording again
right, right.
Chris (28:46):
Does the song writing continue anyway, like?
Avery Friedman (28:49):
songwriting continues on 100.
Chris (28:51):
Yeah, yeah, I've got some , so things are percolating, uh
I mean, I guess it's you aregetting ready for this launch
and stuff, because I mean, likesaid, it's a huge accomplishment
, deserves to be recognized andand celebrated but, the idea of
of the machine.
The machine's going to keeprolling Like I hope to, I hope
(29:12):
to keep rolling.
Avery Friedman (29:13):
I that's.
The biggest gift is that Ithink that this is something
that I will never like put backaway for long.
Yeah.
Chris (29:19):
Amazing, good, good.
Well, I really appreciate youtaking some time and I really
enjoyed your stories of of yourjourney so far and I am so
excited for you, for for Aprilit's a full record like
listeners like get the wholething.
One bleeds into the next.
It's just a complete, reallysolid outing.
(29:40):
If you can get a show in, gosee her support as much as you
can um.
Is this coming out on vinyl?
Are you just doing digital fornow?
Avery Friedman (29:49):
it is coming out on vinyl and tape.
Nice, yeah, so vinyl will be afew months after um.
Chris (29:55):
So yeah, we'll have to get our hands on one of those,
that's for sure thank you somuch.
Avery Friedman (30:00):
I really enjoyed this interview.
I feel like you're a verypresent and thoughtful
interviewer, so I appreciatethat well, I appreciate that.
Chris (30:06):
Um, this has been a lot of fun.
All the best with the newrecord people coming in april.
New thing um avery friedman,amazing um all the best, and I
hope that you come back oncethose songs that are percolating
are set to be released again.
Avery Friedman (30:22):
I surely will.
Chris (30:23):
I promise, thank you.
Thanks so much.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Who is God?
The flowers fell off when I wasasleep, but it's okay, cause
now it's all green.
The flowers fell off when I wasasleep, but it's okay, cause
(31:28):
now it's all green Green.
Cause now it's all green Green.
Avenue Footsteps sound the sameand you Were looking down at
(31:48):
your shoes and we Couldn't stopkissing On the roof, on the roof
Sidewalks for a booth.
(32:13):
The flowers fell off when I wasasleep, but it's okay, cause
now it's all green.
The flowers fell off when I wasasleep, but it's okay, cause
(32:37):
now it's all green Green.
These trees Mark twelve seasonspast.
With this view, a summerbalcony.
(32:58):
Need a knee Grocery list on thephone.
I don't Sit next to year.
No more, no more.
The flowers fell off when I wasasleep, but it's okay, cause
(33:33):
now it's all green.
The flowers fell off when I wasasleep, but it's okay, cause
now it's all green Green.
So breathe, breathe, breathe,thank you.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.