John Eisner
Secretly Group, the Indiana-based label family that comprises Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar, and Dead Oceans, has announced a new series of releases and collaborations called Friends Of. The project will roll out over the next year, with new music from artists who usually operate outside of Secretly, including Devandra Banhart & Noah Georgeson, Gia Margaret, Junglepussy, Bullion, Bongeziwe Mabandla, Theophilus London, and many more.
In a press release, Secretly said that the idea behind Friends Of started formed last year, but the process was expedited by the COVID-19 pandemic and the myriad challenges that it's presented to artists.
"Music and friendship have always been inextricable," Jon Coombs, Secretly Group VP of A&R, said of the project. "Our favorite records and artists are like dependable, empathetic friends themselves: helping us through tough times, cheering us through bright ones, amping us up or calming us down. The right song can remind us that it’s only half an inch of water when we think we’re going to drown. Across the board, we are better when we surround ourselves with friends that inspire and enrich us, and the artists taking part do exactly that. And so Friends Of is also an extension of this sentiment. We're happy to call these artists friends, some old and some new, and are excited to help bring their art to the world. We hope you enjoy and make a new friend along the way."
The first music from the Friends Of series comes via Canadian electronic artist Ryan Hemsworth, who has announced a new EP — Pout, out August 28 on Jagjaguwar — and shared a new single called "Keep Touch" featuring Leland Whitty of Badbadnotgood. Listen to the single below.
“For this EP I was trying to live less in nostalgia and function less off obvious references," Hemsworth said in a press statement. "I worked on Pout while becoming a dad, sitting a lot in my garden, and trying to kill my ego. Tracks like ‘Mountain Access’ make me think about driving around Hamilton, Ontario, my home as of a year ago. I hope people can still get a chance to walk around with this on headphones or daydream while listening to this project.”
Julie Byrne & Trayer Tryon, Madison McFerrin, Routine (Annie Truscott & Jay Som), Triathalon, Kenneth Whalum, Wet, and Ramy Youssef will all release music via the Friends Of series over the next 12 months, with many more artists to be revealed as the project continues. Find the full list of artists involved with Friends Of below.
