Photo by Anna Haas
MASS by Friendship Commanders! Brand new album & accompanying memoir!
Friends, I am so delighted to share the third album by my band, Friendship Commanders. It’s called MASS, and it’s now out everywhere! The project is a concept about memory, language, and the state of Massachusetts. The record is accompanied by my second book, MASS: Essays on Memory, Language, and the State of Massachusetts! Limited merch bundles include hand-rendered cyanotypes, signed and numbered! They will sell out, so grab one while you can!
Conversations with My Other Voice: album & essays
My new album, Conversations with My Other Voice, is a memoir-in-songs. The songs are served up in pairs; one from the perspective of who I once was, and one from the perspective of who I am now. There are five sets in total; the stories outline my journey with my own voice, literal and figurative. In lieu of having physical copies of the album made, I wrote a book of essays that correspond with the music. Both the book and the album were released on September 23rd.
RELEASE THE REST
My beloved band Friendship Commanders has released a limited vinyl compilation of the singles we put forth throughout the pandemic. This is a body of protest work, and a conceptual and musical response to our previous EP, HOLD ON TO YOURSELF. The lead track is our most recent single, “AND IF MY BODY.” The work was mixed by Kurt Ballou and mastered for vinyl by Brad Boatright. The vinyl is semi-transparent violet, 45 RPM. Only one pressing. Get one while they’re here!
AND IF MY BODY
My band Friendship Commanders is thrilled to share our new single, "AND IF MY BODY," with you, This is a work of protest, a boundary against bodily control and the attitudes that got us here, to this post-Roe reality. Our usual collaborators Kurt Ballou and Brad Boatright worked on it with us. The kind folx at Treble premiered the video. We hope you love it. Watch the full video at the button below.
“And if my body's not enough, I shouldn’t qualify
And if my body’s not enough, I shouldn’t have to try
And if my body isn’t mine, I shouldn’t pay a tax
And if my body isn’t mine, then I’m not giving back”
SIMPLY SAID
I have one last single for you today! She’s called “Simply Said,” and she’s a meditation on what is mine to carry and what is not. For this video, I did a solo live performance at Sound Emporium, the legendary Nashville studio where I made the album. What a pleasure to return to this sacred space.
For the album track, I invited eight women in the Nashville music community to join me on the refrain. Please enjoy the beautiful harmonies of Sally Jaye, Alicia Witt, Cynthia Cárdenas, Stephanie Jacques, Anna Haas, Kat Jones, Samantha Frances, and Amoretta Layne.
Read more about the song and video here in the Music Mecca premiere/interview!
DEADBOLT
Pals! My song “Deadbolt” has been set loose into the wild! The third single from my forthcoming album, Conversations with My Other Voice, is out today. So happy to be sharing it with you.
Conversations is a back-and-forth between a younger version of me, and me now; it pairs five songs from who I used to be with five songs written in response, from here. “Deadbolt” is the first “from here” song to be shared so far. It is a sung boundary, loud and proud.
THE MELODY
Friends! My song “The Melody” is in the world today! This is single number two from my forthcoming album, Conversations with My Other Voice. This is one of my favorite songs on the record, and one that holds a foundational story in my life. Here’s a snippet:
He said, “It’s not like the songwriting is rocket science or anything.” So I kept my songs and got rid of him.
Some of that story can be read here, in the feature in Guitar Girl Magazine!
AFRAID OF FLYING
The first single from my forthcoming album, Conversations with My Other Voice is here! I hope you love it.
I wrote “Afraid of Flying” during a Nashville blizzard at the end of a years-long collaboration with another woman and was ready for the next chapter to begin. The full story of that and how we won a Grammy together later that day can be read in the Rock and Roll Globe feature! The video can also be watched there!
ALTAR / LAND OF MEN by Friendship Commanders!
Our new two-song single is available everywhere! Read the Metal Injection piece about LAND OF MEN, and the New Noise piece about ALTAR!
Songs written by Buick Audra
Produced by Friendship Commanders
Mixed by Kurt Ballou
Mastered by Brad Boatright
Conversations with My Other Voice: album & essays
My new album, Conversations with My Other Voice, is a memoir-in-songs. The songs are served up in pairs; one from the perspective of who I once was, and one from the perspective of who I am now. There are five sets in total; the stories outline my journey with my own voice, literal and figurative. In lieu of having physical copies of the album made, I wrote a book of essays that correspond with the music. Both the book and the album were released on September 23rd.
MASS by Friendship Commanders! First five singles are out, and the album is up for pre-order!
Friends, I am so delighted to announce the third album by my band, Friendship Commanders. It’s called MASS, and it will be in the world on September 29th! The project is a concept about memory, language, and the state of Massachusetts. Also, the album will be accompanied by my second book, MASS: Essays on Memory, Language, and the State of Massachusetts! Limited merch bundles include hand-rendered cyanotypes, signed and numbered! They will sell out, so grab one while you can!
STILL LIFE
STILL LIFE by Friendship Commanders is out! This is the fifth chapter of the story. The video, directed and edited by Jerry, is premiering at Thoughts Words Action today! The full album will be here on September 29th (pre-order here).
STILL LIFE is a composite of words and sentiments I heard in response to voicing my concerns at different points throughout my time in Massachusetts. Writing this song felt like a fever dream. The video's frenetic energy mirrors the feelings of being gaslighted, and of being told to metabolize injuries large and small. We hope the song and visuals move you!
VAMPIRE
VAMPIRE by my band Friendship Commanders is in the world! This is the fourth single from our forthcoming album, MASS, out 9/29. It’s about setting a loud, permanent boundary with a controlling narcissist who masqueraded as a friend. The video premiered in Decibel; Jerry Roe and I co-directed it and Jerry Roe shot and edited it! We hope you love it. Also, our Summer and Fall tour dates are up! Check to see if we’re coming to your city!
HIGH SUN
Hello! HIGH SUN by my band Friendship Commanders is out today! This is the third single from our forthcoming album, MASS, out 9/29. It’s a song about realizing that what I’m from very much informed where I went as a young adult. And where I went was unsafe for me. Hope you love it. TURN IT UP. The video premiered in No Echo; I directed this one and Jerry Roe shot and edited it! It combines Super 8 footage with hi-res footage to depict the passage of time. Read more about the project in the essay I wrote for Talkhouse!
RELEASE THE REST
My beloved band Friendship Commanders has released a limited vinyl compilation of the singles we put forth throughout the pandemic. This is a body of protest work, and a conceptual and musical response to our previous EP, HOLD ON TO YOURSELF. The lead track is our most recent single, “AND IF MY BODY.” The work was mixed by Kurt Ballou and mastered for vinyl by Brad Boatright. The vinyl is semi-transparent violet, 45 RPM. Only one pressing. Get one while they’re here!
AND IF MY BODY
My band Friendship Commanders is thrilled to share our new single, "AND IF MY BODY," with you, This is a work of protest, a boundary against bodily control and the attitudes that got us here, to this post-Roe reality. Our usual collaborators Kurt Ballou and Brad Boatright worked on it with us. The kind folx at Treble premiered the video. We hope you love it. Watch the full video at the button below.
“And if my body's not enough, I shouldn’t qualify
And if my body’s not enough, I shouldn’t have to try
And if my body isn’t mine, I shouldn’t pay a tax
And if my body isn’t mine, then I’m not giving back”
SIMPLY SAID
I have one last single for you today! She’s called “Simply Said,” and she’s a meditation on what is mine to carry and what is not. For this video, I did a solo live performance at Sound Emporium, the legendary Nashville studio where I made the album. What a pleasure to return to this sacred space.
For the album track, I invited eight women in the Nashville music community to join me on the refrain. Please enjoy the beautiful harmonies of Sally Jaye, Alicia Witt, Cynthia Cárdenas, Stephanie Jacques, Anna Haas, Kat Jones, Samantha Frances, and Amoretta Layne.
Read more about the song and video here in the Music Mecca premiere/interview!
DEADBOLT
Pals! My song “Deadbolt” has been set loose into the wild! The third single from my forthcoming album, Conversations with My Other Voice, is out today. So happy to be sharing it with you.
Conversations is a back-and-forth between a younger version of me, and me now; it pairs five songs from who I used to be with five songs written in response, from here. “Deadbolt” is the first “from here” song to be shared so far. It is a sung boundary, loud and proud.
THE MELODY
Friends! My song “The Melody” is in the world today! This is single number two from my forthcoming album, Conversations with My Other Voice. This is one of my favorite songs on the record, and one that holds a foundational story in my life. Here’s a snippet:
He said, “It’s not like the songwriting is rocket science or anything.” So I kept my songs and got rid of him.
Some of that story can be read here, in the feature in Guitar Girl Magazine!
AFRAID OF FLYING
The first single from my forthcoming album, Conversations with My Other Voice is here! I hope you love it.
I wrote “Afraid of Flying” during a Nashville blizzard at the end of a years-long collaboration with another woman and was ready for the next chapter to begin. The full story of that and how we won a Grammy together later that day can be read in the Rock and Roll Globe feature! The video can also be watched there!
ALTAR / LAND OF MEN by Friendship Commanders!
Our new two-song single is available everywhere! Read the Metal Injection piece about LAND OF MEN, and the New Noise piece about ALTAR!
Songs written by Buick Audra
Produced by Friendship Commanders
Mixed by Kurt Ballou
Mastered by Brad Boatright
