As Friends is a 4-piece Alternative Rock band from Central Maine who consists of the members; Sierra Carey (vocals), Jerad Smith (guitar), Noah Smith (bass), and Amber Sinclair (drums). They get gritty and electric with their exhilarating hit , “Growing Up”. the thrill in this song was my favorite. It has your adrenaline rush on an all time high, keeping you at a level of excitement you won’t forget! With your blood-rushing, and energy pumping, you’re rocking out with the band. The badass transitions they includes were timely executed well, at the right moments of the song. The multiple dynamics the band gives provided valleys of emotion. You become emotionally connected with the song. The lyricism is strong with a sense of complexity. Of course you can become easily distracted by the radical transporting energetic vibrations of the record, however if you study the lyrical content in this single you will grasp a new understanding of the dimensions it provides. This combination is lethal, and this band has an insightful understanding on what makes a hit. Their sound is perfect, powerful, and prepossessive. As Friends did what needed to be done with this vigorous melody and percussion-soaked smash! The thirst for more is real, and the anticipation to see this band live is at an all-time high!
Check out "Growing Up" here and read more below in our exclusive interview!
Thank you for sharing your music with us As Friends! As a band, how do you manage to fuse together the multiple different personalities into one sound and brand?
If we were to sum up our brand in a word, it would be inclusivity. We are all different people who have had different life experiences, who also have different personal challenges and personalities. But to each of us, music has always been a safe haven. It’s also about figuring out a writing process that works best for the band. Usually one person brings a basic structure to rehearsal and we all expand upon that. We set egos aside and work collectively as a group to finish each song. This process reflects on how we tackle every decision as a band or as friends.
What are some challenges you guys may face as a band and how do you overcome these obstacles?
The dream would be to play music all day every day. Our biggest challenge is time. All of us work full time jobs, one of us is in school on top of that. You have to be in a certain mindset to create, and it isn’t always easy when you head straight to band practice after a (likely) stressful day at work. But we take care of each other and offer support if needed. We are able to lean on one another, and because of that we are able to channel our frustrations and stress into our creative process.
How would you describe your live performances?
High octane, no nonsense. Raw, energetic, passionate, and rowdy. We don’t use a click or backing tracks. We hit the stage, cool our minds and start breathing music. We’re allowed to share our passion with our audience and they give it right back. That’s what’s so great about fans like ours.
“Growing Up” seemed to have such a strong lyrical presence to it. What was the meaning behind this record?
“Growing Up” was the first song we wrote when we started As Friends. Before we became a band, individually we were all experiencing very tough times in our lives. When we sat down to begin writing this song, we all shared our stories with one another and it taught us a lot about what it actually takes to grow up. People have a lot of pre-conceived notions about how life is going to go before we really get out on our own. Our parents sometimes might try to shelter us from the real world and instill a false sense of reality in order to protect us. As kids we are told we can be anything we want to be and that our loved ones will always be there for us. We will live inspired lives full of positivity and love. But once we grow up, we realize we’ve been mislead. “No one really wants to watch you live your dream, and they’re not who they seem.” We learn that people are about themselves, that they’ll step on each other to come out on top, that they’ll break your heart and lie. We learn that life is exhausting, that it can absolutely crush you. With work and other responsibilities it seems as though you no longer have time to do what you really want to do. You may seem to have gotten stuck in a rut. We learn that some loved ones and friends turn their backs on us altogether. This song is about reality and learning all of those things. “You’ve got a lot of issues, a bunch of shit to get through.” We’ve all been hurt in various ways, but what we have learned above all is just how strong we really are. All you can do is learn from the past and embrace the pain when it does come. Embracing pain is what allows us to tap into that deep, dark place where our best inspiration comes from.
What’s next for you As Friends? Any exciting upcoming live shows?
We’re going to keep having fun and enjoy what we love doing as a band. We have more songs in the works for our forthcoming EP that we are very excited for. We have a bunch of live shows that we are playing this summer, our next one being at Spring Point Tavern in South Portland, ME, on July 11th. You can find all of our upcoming shows, photos, and MORE on our website: www.asfriendsofficial.com
Keep up with As Friends on social media!
Instagram: www.instagram.com/asfriendsband
Facebook: www.facebook.com/asfriendsband