Friendship

For fans of: MJ Lenderman, Bill Callahan, Yo La Tengo

The American band Friendship crafts dreamy, introspective folk and country where simplicity and emotion meet. With their new album Caveman Wakes Up (Merge Records), they explore the edge between dream and reality, light and darkness. The sound is rich yet fragile — flutes, organs and rough guitars blend into a melancholic whole. Frontman Dan Wriggins sings with a raw baritone, writing lyrics that are both poetic and grounded.

Wriggins delves into themes of depression, love and spiritual doubt with disarming honesty. The songs feel like prayers for ordinary days — soft, open, and deeply lived-in. Recorded over five days with producer Jeff Zeigler (The War on Drugs, Mary Lattimore), the album represents the band’s most layered and personal work to date.

The group — Wriggins, Michael Cormier O’Leary, Jon Samuels and Peter Gill — are deeply rooted in the modern American folk and country scene. Their music carries echoes of Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Yo La Tengo, yet remains unmistakably their own. Caveman Wakes Up balances tradition and experimentation, leaving space for silence and imagination.

Friendship’s songs radiate warmth, attentiveness and a subtle sense of timelessness. Their music doesn’t seek to impress — it simply asks you to listen. With Caveman Wakes Up, they affirm their place among the most distinctive voices in contemporary indie-country.

Date: Friday 15 May 2026
Time: 21:30 (doors open 21:00)
Venue: Rotown, Rotterdam
Tickets: €17.00 (incl. €2.00 service fee)