New Friends EP, by Broken Fires

New Friends EP

by Broken Fires

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The incredible cover art by Tom Collins printed on heavyweight 12" 300gsm stock

Lyric sheets handwritten by the band

Includes unlimited streaming of New Friends EP via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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1.	Dreamer 03:32	lyrics
I was dreaming of the summer All the moments we could capture on that reel Runaways Fake teenage thrills You always said that we were different That somehow everybody else had got things wrong I wasn’t sure But I played along I don’t wanna live forever But I don’t want the mediocrity to spread Killing us As we slowly dissipate away I want something I can tell the kids In 45 years I was a dreamer I wanted it all Back when I was on my own With no-one left to rely on I was a dreamer I wanted it all I was dreaming of the summer All the moments we could capture on that reel Runaways Fake teenage thrills I don’t want be a millionaire I just wanna write something I don’t hate Simple thoughts And they’re keeping me awake I want something I can tell the kids In 45 years I was a dreamer I wanted it all Back when I was on my own With no-one left to rely on I was a dreamer I wanted it all Yeah I was a dreamer I wanted it all If the whole world collapses in Or picks away your seams Meet me far away from here Meet me in my dreams Its not complicated Not as messy as it seems Meet me at the fountain Meet me in my dreams And if I’m dreaming Honey please don’t wake me up 'Til its over And if I’m dreaming Honey please don’t wake me up 'Til its over I want something I can tell the kids In 45 years
2.	New Friends - [Edit] 04:16	lyrics	buy track
New friends their grand old fashioned styles Their thread stretched out for miles and miles If you're looking for some colour You will find it here If you're looking for the truth, no Come unstuck Always knew I would Get found out Square pegs don’t fit the mould New friends they speak in formal tones Conduct an orchestra of prose I think I ask too many questions I think I’m sometimes wrong I’m just looking for the answers, yeah Come unstuck Always knew I would Get found out Square pegs don’t fit the mould Come unstuck Always knew I would Just my luck Square pegs don’t fit the mould
3.	The Writer 03:44
4.	Boundaries 04:02

about

A song about putting yourself out of your comfort zone and the challenges that come with trying to find a new life and purpose, “New Friends” was initially written after Tom first made the move from Wales to London.

“Thinking back to that time when I moved to this crazy city. I met some people who talked a lot of s**t and it took me a while to figure that out, and to figure out where I fit into things.” says Tom.

Vividly recalling the people, place and feelings of that time; the track has become synonymous in Tom’s mind with a cartoon by celebrated Glaswegian cartoonist David Shrigley that graced the wall of his then apartment.

“It’s an illustration of a group of cartoon characters with tiny legs and big circular faces.” remembers Tom. “All apart from this one who has a square face. The circular shaped guys pick him up, hold his corners up to an angle grinder and shape him into a circle just like them. Sometimes you meet new people you homogenise… or something profound like that. ”

Comprising new tracks “New Friends”, “The Writer”, “Boundaries”, plus the previous Steve Lamacq / BBC6 Music championed single “Dreamer”; the EP as a whole was recorded over a few months at an array of venues and studios, with various collaborators from across the music scene also pitching-in. EP highlight “The Writer” was a track the group had wanted to finish for a long while. Surrounding the liberation and despair that comes with being on your own; the track has found a new meaning and profound resonance given the events of the last year. The finishing touches were perfected in a flat in London during lockdown, including a splash sound created by hitting a large broken ride cymbal with a whisk. Elsewhere, and in stark contrast to the former’s claustrophobic intimacy, EP closer “Boundaries” offers a more genteel and expansive offering. With the lead vocals and violins added at an old chapel in Monmouth; Welsh folk talent Angharad Jenkins recorded its moving string sections while the band entertained her daughter next to her feet, being careful not to make a squeak.

Reflecting on the ‘New Friends’ EP, Tom says:

“We think the EP shows our full range as a band. Full of dreamy folk, epic endings with layered strings and harmonies and probably one of the most stripped back tracks we’ve ever written”

Allowing their indie foundations to morph into new genres and elements, the varied recording process also seeps its way into every aspect of the EP and puts the group’s dynamism on full display. From three-minute pop earworms as-heard on the title track “New Friends” or the effervescent alt/rock of previous single: “Dreamer”, to the emotional folk-tinged balladry of “The Writer” or the stirring closer “Boundaries”; it’s a release that shows the full range of Broken Fires’ talent in shining example.

credits

released July 2, 2021

Recorded by Broken Fires' own Justin Hendy
Mixed by Matt Lederman (Rural Alberta Advantage, !!!)
Mastered by Ryan Morey (Arcade Fire, Half Moon Run)

Artwork by Tom Collins

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about

Broken Fires Swansea, UK

Broken Fires are an alternative pop band. They write simple songs with big melodies and record these in garages, kitchens and other peoples houses.

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