There are breakthrough years, and then there is Friko’s 2024. From the release of their latest album, “Where we’ve been, Where we go from here,” to performances at Lollapalooza to end-of-the-year accolades from outlets such as Pitchfork and Rolling Stone, the Chicago indie band Friko is having a moment.
The praise is well-deserved for a group (currently Niko Kapetan and Bailey Minzenberger) the Tribune first interviewed back in 2022. Back then, they had just released a demo track “One to One” after a brief creative pause during the start of the pandemic. The track, featuring piercing lyrics and winsome melodies, caught the attention of locals who were clamoring for more music after the group’s 2019 collection of demos. Some additional 2022 singles led to their next EP, “Whenever Forever,” and an Audiotree session. It’s the sort of success any Chicago band or musician would love.
And they probably would have continued to operate like that, too. Friko’s year began with little money and no touring plans. And while they hoped to maybe find success on the road, they never anticipated “Where we’ve been, Where we go from here” catching on quite the way it did.
And catch on, it did.
Media outlets around the world heaped praise on the record. Its popularity led to debut festival appearances at Lollapalooza, the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island and Fuji Rock in Japan, as well as first tours in Europe, China and Japan.
That’s quite a lot for one growing Chicago band.
Kapetan credits some of the record’s success to how it was made.
“It was our most collaborative effort,” said Kapetan. “I think, in the most straight-up sense musically, we kind of know who we are as a band and the kind of music we can make and be impactful in making it. We know if an idea is going to work for us while we’re in the middle of doing it, and that’s a really nice feeling.”
Ninety percent of the record was recorded and mixed before they signed to a label. Without outside pressures on how or what they should create, the group had the freedom to do what they wanted. It was primarily recorded at Palisade Studios on Clybourne and Trigger on Addison.
“None of us were making any money from it. And it was just kind of a very DIY effort,” said Kapetan. The result was a record that sounded both nostalgic and momentous, as though it were tapping into a long-gone energy that once permeated and dominated the indie rock scene.
“I feel like that happens a lot of time with a band. You know, do a few years just playing in their hometown and not much happens. And then you get to a certain point where the stars align, and you can get one project that encapsulates the band and people can understand as a whole,” reflected Kapetan. “And I think that’s what happened with this record, luckily. We’re music heads ourselves who like to make music for people who like, really, really love music. So it’s been cool to see that for sure.”
The group shows no signs of stopping. Last month, Friko released an expanded version of “Where we’ve been, Where we go from here” with bonus tracks and a My Bloody Valentine cover. On Dec. 27, they’ll play a homecoming set at Thalia Hall. The show will also serve as the setting for a live album and film, planned for later in 2025. To up the ante, the group has also been working with a lighting designer to create a more visually exciting experience for audiences. And next year, they’ll embark on more touring, this time sticking to the United States and Canada.
In the midst of it all, they still plan to make new music.
Kapetan says he’s spent a lot of time writing, and the band will soon regroup to explore ideas for the songs. Whatever that means, Kapetan is certain that it will be as declarative and complete as anything else Friko has released.
“Each album is meant to be a big statement. It’s not (just) a collection of songs,” he said. “We really want to just make it say something and make it say something different from the previous thing. So musically, that’s the most important thing for us.”
Britt Julious is a freelance critic.
