FRIKO
Words by: Josie Stahler
Photos courtesy of Pitch Perfect
When I first met Friko in February, the air was chilly and miserable. Despite the weather, Niko Kapetan and Bailey Minzenberger were a warm glow of smiles as we sat in WLUW Chicago’s studio for a live on-air performance to tease their upcoming album, Where we’ve been, Where we go from here. Since the release of their album and Chicago’s glorious defrost, much has changed. From receiving critical acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork to hitting up Fuji Rock Fest in Japan, it seems Friko is only growing each day. Niko sat with Glitzy to discuss the band’s journey from meeting Bailey to finding his creative spirit and watching Friko blossom.
Niko and Bailey were merely high schoolers when they first met in music theory. “We didn’t talk in that class,” he tells me. It wasn’t until their mutual friend and engineer Jack Henry asked Niko to play bass in Friko. From there the band went through multiple iterations, moving into its current lineup today. If you listen closely, you can feel their music changing as well, a sure sign of growing through arguably your most formative years of living.
Of course, it’s hard to know what exactly you want to do at eighteen. While Friko was still budding, Niko decided to attend Columbia College Chicago for a year before ultimately dropping out. “I don’t think you can teach songwriting.” Niko says candidly. “I think you can give advice. I think you can take things in, but if you’re going to write a good song you either have it or you don’t,” Instead, the focus was placed on pursuing creativity full-time and giving artistry room to bloom. Niko took on a warehouse job and spent his time off writing.
With a sense of newfound freedom, it was only a matter of time before the band would find its flow. In 2022 they released their EP Whenever Forever, which balances jumpy beats and emotionally string-filled moments. Not much later Niko and Bailey spent a month and a half compiling songs, writing pieces of what would become their debut album. “It just felt like the band was coming together. Even before like, any of the industry stuff got involved…this feels specific to us.”
The album, Where we’ve been, Where we go from here, is an amalgamation of wonder, a sincere letter to years spent growing up and stepping into oneself. Songs like, “Crashing Through” have a massive build up into an explosion of noise, where other tracks like, “For Ella” have a somber attitude complemented by Niko’s soft birdsong. It’s the perfect mark of a band stepping into their project completely, with little fear and open vulnerability.
If this album is their “bloom” moment, Friko is a flower fully bursting beneath a bright sunlight. Since the album’s release, the duo have sold out their hometown show at Metro, played a set at Chicago’s own Lollapalooza and were announced as a supporting act for the recently viral duo Royel Otis. It’s a huge jump into bigger venues, new listeners and more adventures, which can be a somewhat terrifying experience. “We’re a small band relatively, but even at this point there will be eyes on [new music] immediately, and people judging it in reference to other stuff we put out,” according to Niko.
Thankfully, there are several people that help the band bloom in their own time. Niko cites his parents, Bailey, the band and producer Scott Tallarida as sources of support and encouragement.
Friko is a band that’s been blooming, bursting and continuing to grow with each new day. We’ve seen where they’ve been, but it’s thrilling to watch where they go from here. When asked how the band might continue to bloom, Niko embraces the uncertainty.
“You can’t purposely go anywhere creatively…have a general intention and you’ll see what comes out.”
Follow Friko on Bandcamp and Instagram