Friends of Yours A little Q&A with Northampton, MA duo, Friends of Yours. Lynn Simonds sings and plays guitar, and Brian DiPippo plays drums and also sings.   Leicester Bangs: Tell us a little about yourselves. Lynn: Well, I am an Aquarius.  I started to write songs and play guitar about 10 years ago now.  I was solely acoustic, lonely, looking for someone cool to play with.  I had a few almost bands, then I met Brian and we started jamming and his style brought out a whole new dimension in me.  He let me borrow (long-term) his electric guitar, introduced me to the magic of effects pedals, and thus Friends of Yours was born.   Brian:  I started playing the drums at 14 and was mainly interested in playing loud rock music.  Also, I always had a thing for strong female vocalists, but so few of them rocked hard enough for my liking.  I was always searching for a successful marriage between sweet sensitivity and volume and drive…  and distortion.  I like lots of different styles and really love it when a band can pull of varying up their sound without losing their unique flavor.  After hearing a tape of Lynn's songs I thought we could achieve that together.   LB: How did you start out making music? Lynn:  I always wanted a drummer, more than any other instrumentalist.  Drummers hold a band together and give a danceable quality to music, that essential BEAT and it's almost TRIBAL, you know?  Like, ancient.  So when I found out Brian, who was really just an acquaintance, was a drummer, I really flipped my lid.  I knew there was something special about him, and it was all confirmed when we started to play.  It was almost an instant musical connection, and by the 3rd practice we were writing songs together rather than him just playing beats to songs I'd already written, so it was all a delicious surprise and has become an amazing creative outlet.   Brian:  We happened to be at the same coffee shop one day and got to talking and we found out we were both musicians.  She told me what type of stuff she did and suggested we play together and I think I literally rolled my eyes.  I thought, "ugh, another acoustic singer/songwriter chick, fucking wonderful…"  But I was very polite and all, "Sure I'll listen to your tape!", and I actually did, and I was almost immediately impressed.  She plays finger-style, so it wasn't just mindless chord repetition, plus the song structure was very untraditional and interesting.  Also she had (has) an awesome voice, and I was automatically coming up with beats while listening, so I was sold.   LB: Who did you grow up listening to and how do they influence what you’re doing now? Lynn:  Of course I listened to total crap when I was growing up - I mean generic shit on the radio.  It wasn't until I was 15 that I decided record players were cool and put on some of my dad's Simon and Garfunkel records.  It was like a revelation because their music was poetic and really SAID something.  After that I sought out music with meaning.  I was obsessed with a few chick singers in high school in the 90's, like Juliana Hatfield and Tori Amos, then in college was exposed to more indie artists and found my way to Kristin Hersh and then Leonard Cohen and the Beatles and Patti Smith.  A lot of the time, honestly, I feel like I'm in my own damn world.  When I write music I'm interpreting the world around me... the way my heroes inspire is really just as an example to be who you are.   Brian:  90's alternative rock was the stuff I really listened to a lot when I was beginning to really pay attention to music.  Pearl Jam, Nirvana, the Melvins, Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins, man I ate that shit up.  I still love it.  That's what I was listening to when I was learning to play the drums, and some of my favorite drummers are from that era - Jimmy Chamberlain, Dave Abbruzzese, Tim Alexander, Dale Crover.  The way they've influenced my playing is probably pretty obvious, but I've expanded my scope drastically since then, and I like to think that's had an effect on my style as well.   LB: Tell us about your latest release. Lynn:  It’s called Contagious, and we're quite proud.  We've been playing for 3 years so these songs are testaments to the sound we have developed over time, which is unique, soulful, and rockin’.   Brian:  Our first recording was very much a mixture of our influences and styles.  I think we hit our stride while making that one and just rode the momentum.  We were aching to go back into the studio really quickly.  The first CD was half acoustic, but by this time we were really only interested in playing electric, not as a conscious decision, it just happened that way.  We just immediately had new songs and we really wanted to get them captured as soon as possible.  As it turned out, we kept running into delays (and reality), but we used the time to really hone the songs and by the time we got in the studio we were really ready to go.  So the feel of the EP is pretty immediate, terse, and yeah, rockin’.   LB: Do you get out and play your music live, and if so, what can an audience expect at one of your shows? Lynn:  They can expect to be wildly entertained, impressed, and maybe, just maybe... moved.  We play live as often as we can, mostly in Northampton, but just you wait!  Brian really wails on those drums and makes all these crazy faces and shit - it's great and impressive just to watch his style.  I get into the groove, wear pretty dresses, and also make an array of interesting faces.  We want to put on a good show, we want to have fun and for the audience to have fun.   Brian:  Some people really like to dance at our shows, and we'd like more people to dance, actually.  It's sort of a goal, we want to see those asses shakin’!   LB: What aspects of playing and recording music do you most enjoy? Lynn:  Playing music is a total release.  I do not know what I'd do without it.  I started playing just for myself, just to sit down with myself and put energy into creation, into making something beautiful.  When I started playing it was a brutallly hard time in my life so I delved into it and it became incredibly cathartic.  Oh yeah, man, it's deep.  Recording is just rewarding.  Hearing the stuff back is always pretty amazing, and you get a new perspective to work out some kinks or add some new ideas.   Brian:  Playing live is best; it's great to see people react to what you're doing, because really, they're witnessing something quite personal.  Practicing is great too, we've jammed on really amazing ideas - just some out there shit, never to be played or heard again.  It only exists in that moment, which is sad and special.  Recording is very methodical, and therapeutic in its own way.  It's all awesome really.   LB: Where can people find (and buy) your music? Lynn: Our first record is on iTunes and the new one will be up shortly. Both cds are for sale on CDBaby, www.cdbaby.com/cd/friendsofyours www.cdbaby.com/cd/friendsofyours2 You can preview the songs on our Sonicbids page, www.sonicbids.com/friendsofyours and our myspace, www.myspace.com/friendsofyours ..which is also a great place to look for our upcoming shows and events.  Also we have a Facebook page, look for us and become a Fan!   www.friendsofyoursband.com is under construction, so stay tuned!   Both photos by Jackson Barker-Fornal Friends Of Yours – South Dakota