Brand New Friend

Brand New Friend have come further than they’d ever thought possible while brother and sister Taylor and Lauren Johnson dreamed and played in Castlerock, hanging off of Northern Ireland’s north coast. In just a few years, they’ve gone from Taylor receiving his first guitar for doing well in his GCSEs to signing with Xtra Mile Recordings and releasing their debut album. “Just the experience of playing in pubs with our mates, that was the dream to us,” says Taylor, a bundle of energy who can’t quite believe what’s happening despite being the chief motivator. “We never expected to write an album or go on real tours or sign a record deal, get management. To us, playing those small grungy gigs was just everything. Every second we’re able to do this and avoid real life is the best thing in the world. We’ll ride this ‘til the wheels come off!”

After recruiting his little sister, classically-trained singer and pianist, to help Taylor sing the songs he’d blared from his guitar and words he’d transferred from mind to ink, the duo just started playing locally. With no money to speak of, they convinced producer Rocky O’Reilly – who fell for their music in a pub show with people barely paying attention – and two mates with drums and bass to help them put together their first EP, American Wives, released in 2016. A fuller sound than their duet setup, it pointed them to the future via the past in the form of a chance meeting at their first ever gig. “It was in this tiny bar and the band we were supporting had Aaron (Milligan), our bass player, and Luke (Harris), our drummer,” explains Taylor, still sounding awed. “We kept in touch and one day Aaron sent me a message asking if we’d ever make Brand New Friend a full band like on the EP.” Quickly assembling a four-piece, they gigged locally, transforming the duo’s songs and propelling them with “their punch and energy”.