Special Friend

Special Friend, a French/American duo, blends contemplative slowcore with stripped-down indie pop, drawing from the noisily melodic charm of indie fixtures like Butterglory and Yo La Tengo while incorporating a healthy dose of heavy fuzz guitar. Their 2021 debut full-length Ennemi Commun established a template of sweet songs spiced with noise and drama, after which the pair chose to emphasize the more melancholy aspects of their style on 2023's Wait Until the Flames Come Rushing In.

Erica Ashleson on drums and vocals joined guitarist and vocalist Guillaume Siracusa to form the band in 2017. Meeting in Montreal, Quebec, they soon began writing and recording original material. Their initial outing, a self-titled five-song EP, appeared in 2019 through a collaboration among four French indie labels and was captured swiftly in the group's practice space. By 2020 the duo enlisted friend Vincent Hivert to record what became their first album on a Tascam 8-track. Those sessions produced the 2021 release Ennemi Commun, where they expanded their use of vocal harmonies and synthesizer touches. On the follow-up Wait Until the Flames Come Rushing In the duo pursued a fresh take on '90s indie rock, reducing guitar noise in favor of a more measured approach that spotlighted the melodies and the tenderness in their vocals. Howlin' Banana and Skep Wax issued the album in June 2023.