SXSW 2017 Interview: FRENSHIP

Electropop duo FRENSHIP first came across my radar very recently as part of TGTF’s SXSW 2017 preview of showcasing artists from Los Angeles. But the pair, comprising James Sunderland and Brett Hite, have been collaborating as FRENSHIP for over 4 years now, and their combination of electronic dance music and pop songwriting is beginning to pick up momentum with listeners here in America and around the world. Their 2016 single ‘Capsize’, featuring singer Emily Warren, has garnered over 300 million Spotify streams to date, and their January 2017 single ‘1000 Nights’ has already racked up over 10 million streams. Both ‘Capsize’ and ‘1000 Nights’ appear on FRENSHIP’s debut EP ‘Truce’, released in September 2016 on Columbia Records.
FRENSHIP kicked off their SXSW 2017 with an opening slot on the Monday night lineup at The Gatsby, which was hosted by Internet radio service Pandora. Their set on the Pandora stage was a lively, high energy affair that set the tone for the evening’s later acts, !!! (chk, chk, chk) and Lo Moon. They played both singles mentioned above as well as a brand new, as yet unreleased song titled ‘Keep You Close’. I was fortunate enough to catch James and Brett fresh off the stage for the interview below, where we talked about their synthesis of discrete sonic influences and the events leading to FRENSHIP’s signing with Columbia.
[youtube]https://youtu.be/kOyBhtPF5aw[/youtube]
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