FRENSHIP

Born out of a mutual appreciation for soft synths and euphoric beats, Frenship are an electro-pop duo hailing from Los Angeles. Scoring a platinum hit with 2016′s “Capsize,” they issued their official debut full-length, Vacation, in 2019. The band returned two years later with a pair of singles including “All My Friends.” Frenship members James Sunderland and Brett Hite met while working at fitness store Lululemon and became fans of each other’s music. This led to the two stoking the creative embers, and they eventually began creating music together. Pursuing the avenue of summery, feel-good electronic pop, the duo made their debut on SoundCloud with the track “Knives,” created with Norwegian tropical house producer Matoma. The track quickly caught fire on the web and began to generate buzz, which led the duo to upload a second track, “Nowhere.” The song garnered comparisons to new wave pioneers Tears for Fears, albeit with overtones of modern house. Having generated a burgeoning fan base already, Frenship’s hype really took off when they premiered the track “Carpet,” described by Sunderland as representing a stressful time in his life. They then followed up with “Capsize,” a collaboration with singer/songwriter Emily Warren that quickly went viral. The song charted in multiple territories and went platinum in the U.S., New Zealand, Australia, and Sweden. Frenship released their debut EP, Truce, during the fall of 2016 on Columbia Records. In 2018, they delivered the single “LOVE Somebody” and embarked on the Good Morning, Goodbye Tour. Another standalone single, “Wanted a Name” featuring Yoke Lore, arrived early the following year. The latter track was included on their debut album, Vacation, which arrived in 2019. In September 2021, Sunderland and Hite returned with “All My Friends,” a single recalling their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Try,” a collaborative single between Frenship and Lauren Sanderson, appeared later that year. ~ Rob Wacey