With their highly anticipated album Feels Like Hell dropping on October 10th, Weakened Friends smashes it out of the park with their latest singles. With lyrics about breaking free from what’s not working, their newest release “Tough Luck (Bleed Me Out)” encapsulates the albums theme of both internal and external reflection. Partnering with The Ally Coalition for their upcoming tour, Weakened Friends strives to make their shows a safe space for everyone. To learn more about Weakened Friends and their upcoming album, read on.

Where are you based?
Portland Maine (Annie and Sonia) and Boston (Adam) .

What inspired you to start making music?
I’ve (Sonia) always felt really aware of music for as long as I can remember. I was fascinated by how a song could completely change the mood of a moment, like how a simple drive to the store in my parents’ car could feel totally different depending on what was playing on the radio.

Sort of silly, but when I was 11, I bought that first Avril Lavigne CD, and seeing someone like me and not much older than me writing songs and playing guitar was a huge lightbulb moment. I thought, that’s what I want to do. From there, I became obsessed with playing, writing songs, and spending every penny I had on records at the local record shop. My dad played some guitar so I asked him to teach me, we'd "jam" on stuff when he'd get home from work and that's how I learned. I learned everything by ear or from someone showing me, I still don't understand music theory. I've always felt like music, writing songs and performing them was a way to make sense of myself and feel confident. I've struggled in life to feel confident in my own skin, but when I would put a guitar on or get on stage that anxiety sort of floated away, it's like in that context I knew who I was even if most days I felt really lost. So I just kept chasing that until it felt real off stage as well.

What is the story of how you all found each other and formed a band?
I had just moved to Portland, Maine, from Toronto, where I grew up. Back then I was in a band called The Box Tiger (yep, I’ve never been great at band names), and we’d played a few shows with Annie’s old band. Around that time, I had started writing songs for a side project and wanted to put a band together for them. Even though I thought Annie was way too talented for my little side thing, I mustered up the courage (with some encouragement from my then-girlfriend) to ask her to join. Luckily, it worked out!

Adam joined the band a few years later after we parted ways with our original drummer. Funny enough, that original drummer was the bass player in my old band and Adam had been the drummer in Annie’s old band.

Are there any artists that influence your sound as a band?
I’m constantly inspired by whatever I’m listening to at the moment and I listen to a lot, all over the musical map. Growing up, one of my biggest influences was Metric; Emily Haines really made me want to be in a band. These days, I’m always discovering new music, and there are so many great bands that keep me inspired. Right now I’ve been really into the new Momma record “Welcome To My Blue Sky” and been listening to the new Haley Williams record; it’s so weird and good.

Congratulations on your new single “Tough Luck (Bleed Me Out)”! What inspired this song?
“Tough Luck” was one of those songs that just came out of nowhere. I started playing the chord progression in a way that reminded me of the band Microwave; especially their Death Is A Warm Blanket record. We toured with them during that album cycle, so it makes sense that some of that inspiration found its way into the song.

Lyrically, it’s about being done with feeling like a cog in the machine, finally wanting to break free from the parts of life that make you feel stuck or trapped.

Your new album, Feels Like Hell, comes out October 10th. Can you tell us a little bit about what to expect to hear from it? What are some things that inspired some of the songs on the album?
This record is really rooted in both self-reflection and external reflection. Looking inward at ourselves and outward at the world; trying to make sense of where we fit within it all. A great deal of inspiration came from processing our last few years, which have been full of emotional highs and lows. After making and touring on our record Quitter I actually felt at times that I wanted to quit music or at least music as a career. I was super burnt out and there were also some really stressful interpersonal issues going on in the band that was making it hard for me to want to be creative. Not to mention the stress and heartbreak of just reading the news everyday. I had to really dig deep and work on myself to get to a place where I felt confident again in order to have written and made “Feels Like Hell”, I think the record really highlights that journey. We’ve done a lot of growing as people since the last album was written; a lot has happened in our personal lives and in the world around us. I think this record covers a lot on how we’ve been feeling.

What do you hope listeners take away from this new album?
I really hope they like it! But also hope they can feel how much of our hearts we put into it and hopefully connect with the songs as much as we have. I hope it can also help folks work through the challenges they’re facing.

Without giving too much about the new album away, how does Feels Like Hell differ from your other albums?
It’s a glow-up… big time! I know every band says their newest record is the best record yet, but I think this record is a very obvious step up, both from a song-writing standpoint as well as production. I know our fanbase still enjoys our back-catalog. With Quitter, our last record, people reported that they liked it, but still liked the earlier records better. I think this new record blows everything out of the water.

Your album features a cover of the song “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia as the final track. What made you choose to cover this song? Why was it chosen to be the closing track?
I love that song. I’ll never do karaoke, but if I was forced to, I would pick that song. We had initially covered it for our Patreon page, back in Covid lock-down. I thought of bringing it back for some live shows last year and it drove audiences wild. It’s last on the record because I think of it as a bonus track. The record properly ends with “Great Expectations.” Torn is a cheeky little bonus.

Congratulations on your other new single “NPC”! What is the story behind the song?
I was listening to a podcast about simulation theory, and it got me thinking: if we really are living in a simulation, it’s depressing that whoever built it made society so flawed. From there, the idea for the song started to take shape: imagine yourself as an NPC who suddenly gains sentience, looks around at the systems in place, the tragedy and chaos in the world, and wonders, “why couldn’t they have coded this thing better?”

“NPC” also features a guitar solo from Guns n’ Roses guitar legend Buckethead. How did that collaboration come about?
Buckethead was playing a show at The State Theatre in Portland, where I work. We ended up chatting that night about Portland recommended visits, like comic book stores, bookstores, that kind of stuff. Since then we’ve stayed in touch, sharing music and talking about the creative process. It’s been really cool to build that friendship.

When we finished recording the bulk of “NPC”, I knew I wanted a guitar solo that felt like a computer was glitching or the fabric of reality was tearing apart and immediately thought of Buckethead. I knew he was the perfect person to bring that idea to life. We were thrilled that he enthusiastically agreed to play!

How has your writing process changed from album to album?
On past albums, I’ve always handled the songwriting on my own. For this new album, Annie stepped into the co-writing seat, and together, we really brought these songs to life. Collaborating made the writing stronger in every way. I have a tendency to self-sabotage during the process, and having Annie in the room helped me push through and fully see ideas through to completion.

You’ve partnered with The Ally Coalition (TAC), a nonprofit that uses music as a way to empower LGBTQIA+ youth, for your upcoming tour. Can you tell us a bit about how they will be involved and why you chose to partner with them?
Yes! We’re so excited to be partnering with The Ally Coalition on this tour. They’ve connected us with local LGBTQIA+ organizations in every city we’re playing, and those groups will be tabling at our shows. They’ll be sharing information, offering resources, and giving fans the opportunity to donate and get involved directly.

With members of your band being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, what do you hope to see in the future for the music industry relating to representation and inclusivity?
Back in 2015 when this band started, being queer was something I still kept somewhat hidden. I worried it might negatively impact the band if we leaned too heavily into it. Fast forward to today, that insecurity is long gone. We’re proud of who we are, and being open is an important part of our story and our songs. I 100% attribute this shift in our attitude to the noticeable growth in queer representation, in the streets and across the media landscape at large. Continued growth in visibility will only make this world a more accepting and safer place for the LGBTQIA+ community. There is still a long way to go, but we’re very proud of the process and happy to be even a small part of it.

What advice do you have for anyone a part of the LGBTQIA+ community who might be fearful for the future? How can our readers help work to promote inclusivity and representation?
I completely understand the fear, there’s still so much hate and hurt in our community, especially under the current administration. But we also have a long history of fighting for our rights and our freedoms, and I truly believe we’ll continue to protect what our predecessors worked so hard for. We’re not going back. That’s why it feels so important for me to be vocal and open, especially coming from a place of relative safety and privilege. I know not everyone has that, which is why creating shows where people feel welcomed, safe, and celebrated matters so much to me. My advice is to find your people, those who make you feel seen and supported, and hold onto them.

Are there any upcoming projects you are currently working on that we should be on the lookout for?
Our new record “Feels Like Hell” is out everywhere October 10, we’ll have more singles and music videos to share leading up to its release. We’ll be touring all over the country to support the record! Check our tour dates for a city near you! We’d love to see you at a show.

It has been a crazy few years, and we expect at least four more. How have you been staying positive?
Gratitude. With everything happening in the world, it’s easy to slip into despair. I try to remind myself how much there is to be thankful for and how fortunate I am to have so much love in my life. I stay aware of what’s going on around me, but I also make intentional space for the beauty and magic in my own life. Focusing inward, keeping things small and present can be a powerful reset when the weight of the world feels overwhelming.

What is your motto in life?
Lead with curiosity, not judgment.

To learn more about Weakened Friends, please check out the links below:
www.weakenedfriends.com
Instagram: @weakenedfriends
Bluesky: @weakenedfriends.bsky.social
TikTok: @Weakenedfriendsmusic

Weakened Friends on New Music and Queer Representation