Friends of Yours

Artist Information

Biography

Lynn Simonds started out playing solo acoustic sets. Her melodic, sweet vocals and contemplative and sometimes offbeat lyrics earned her a small but loyal following. Her musical inspiration came heavily from acts such as Kristin Hersh, Leonard Cohen, and of course, the Beatles (John, before you ask).
Brian DiPippo was brutalizing his drumkit in a metal/noise band at the time. His main influences being the Melvins, Pearl Jam, and Sleater-Kinney.
Inside Lynn was a rock goddess waiting to emerge ("if only i could find a kick-ass drummer" she would sigh and say..). Inside Brian dwelled a versatility of beats just waiting to be synced up with just the right combination of power, sensitivity and soul. An unlikely fusion was generated when their styles and personalities converged. Lynn kicked it up a notch and Brian began to weave a lighter touch between more explosive sounds. Together they've gained more and more interest every time they play, and audiences are often stopped in their tracks, impressed by how much sound is being produced by just guitar, drums and vocals. Loyal fans agree that they keep getting better and better, their style stays original, surprising, and constantly evolving.

Instrumentation

Lynn Simonds - vocals, guitar
Brian DiPippo - drums, vocals

Discography

Ours (LP 2008)
Contagious (EP 2009)
Ideals&Expectations (EP 2011)

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace
• Last.fm

Audio

• Whatever Happens
  Listen  
• South Dakota
  Listen  
• this heart
  Listen  
• Ideals & Expectations
  Listen  
• Asafoetida
  Listen  

Lyrics

• now
• whatever happens

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Friends in Rock [+ Show ]
  

  Behind the Beat: Friends in Rock Thursday, September 02, 2010 By Matthew Dube Friends of Yours ...Behind the Beat: Friends in Rock
  Thursday, September 02, 2010
  By Matthew Dube
  
  Friends of Yours
  
  Brian DiPippo wasn't too sure he wanted to jam with co-worker Lynn Simonds when the two discovered they were both musicians. "She told me she was a singer/songwriter and I thought, 'Ugh, no way. Another chick with an acoustic guitar. F that,'" DiPippo says. "But she gave me a tape and it was really good: great voice, great lyrics, unconventional songwriting, finger-style guitar. All it needed was some badass drumming, and I could already hear the beats in my head."
  
  Simonds says the pairing was perfect, as she'd been looking for a drummer for years to complement her solo performances. She had become increasingly bored with the whole singer/songwriter thing, and was thrilled to find that she and her co-worker clicked immediately.
  
  "The music I was drawn to was music that moved your soul and your body, and I wanted to be making music like that," she says. "[DiPippo] brought along the beat I had been searching for."
  
  Friends of Yours were born.
  
  In the beginning of the partnership, Simonds provided the songs, but the duo quickly began writing songs together sparked by moments during rehearsal sessions. DiPippo says it all starts with a beat or a guitar riff, and they take off from there.
  
  "Lynn's good at coming up with lyrics on the spot, so that's never been too much of an issue, until lately, which I think is good—it means the music itself is getting more challenging," says DiPippo. "Seriously—we have to do a regimen of stretches and jumping jacks before band practice these days. I'm skipping rope and going to the gym just to be in this band."
  
  Simonds says it's an evolving process, and she's thrilled that DiPippo recently started contributing his own lyrics to the mix. "We keep things interesting and keep challenging ourselves and each other, and really, it's fascinating," she says. "Writing songs alone was interesting enough, but having another person involved is a whole new level. And yeah, with the newer songs, I had this weird mix of writer's block and then too many possible lyrics. But in the end it all comes together."
  
  Asked to enumerate the pros and cons of a two-person band, DiPippo sounds both satisfied and wistful. "The greatest advantages are definitely the ease of getting together for practice and gig availability," he says. "The writing process is less headache-y, as well. Disadvantages: no bass. I love bass."
  
  Like a good bandmate, Simonds is there to help soften the blow. "To fix that, we have Kate [Niemczyk] from The True Jacqueline play with us from time to time," she says. "I love bass, too—but we also like the simplicity of just a guy and a gal, and making an impressive amount of sound while we're at it."
  
  They certainly bring all sorts of undulating cacophony to songs, incorporating elements of some of their influences like Kristin Hersh, Sleater-Kinney and Dead Weather.
  
  Friends of Yours are currently on a mini-tour through Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York with Brooklyn's Orca Age, in an effort to get out of town a bit and ingratiate themselves into other cities' scenes.
  
  As always, they encourage people to get offline and into the clubs to check them out live.
  
  "Log off Facebook for one night," implores Simonds. "Then take pictures and show all your friends on Facebook that you went out and had a good time. And then 'like' us."
  
  Friends of Yours: The Elevens, Northampton, Sept. 10 & 17. www.myspace.com/friendsofyours.
  

• Friends of Yours Editor's Pick for one of the Best Band's in the Valley! [+ Show ]
  

  riends of Yours New kids on the block? For sure, but singer/guitarist Lynn Simonds and drummer Br...riends of Yours
  
  New kids on the block? For sure, but singer/guitarist Lynn Simonds and drummer Brian DiPippo nonetheless continue to churn out an exceptional repertoire of seriously charming original music. Bass or no bass, the sometimes rock-y, sometimes trance-y two-piece probably belongs in an even more rapidly flowing creative stream than our fair Valley; they're like White Stripes you can relax to.
  

• BFFs celebrate friendship, music, and new EP. January 21, 2010 [+ Show ]
  

  ..."DiPippo and Simonds individually mention influences such as Sleater-Kinney, Leonard Cohen, The B......"DiPippo and Simonds individually mention influences such as Sleater-Kinney, Leonard Cohen, The Beatles and The Melvins, and describe Friends of Yours sound as "lyrical soul grunge."
  'Whatever Happens' is a highlight of the new EP, with spidery electric guitar riding on a punchy post punk dance beat and a chorus that makes awesome use of roaring dissonant chords.
  'South Dakota' is also powerful, a jittery song that starts with a pounding drum intro. 'if you've got something on your chest, baby you can tell me, you can tell me,' Simonds sings while slashing power chords out on her guitar, repeating the last phrase and trailing off in a possessed whisper as if in a spooky trance.
  Friends of Yours decided to add some minimum bass for the EP (played by DiPippo) but at live shows they keep it to a twosome. 'We do love being a duo,' he said. 'The more members you have in a band, the more exponentially complicated it gets.'
  'We get lots of comments pertaining to how impressed people are by how much sound just two people can make," said Simonds."...

• Contagious EP Review
  

  http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=11402

Setlist

Guitar amp, full drum kit.

Basic Requirements

Calendar