In these difficult times for the world, young friends Jake Stam & Matt Montgomery, also known as Friends At The Falls, have returned with a thought provoking and incredibly moving track 'It’s Alright, Let Me Go'.
The L.A based duo are continuing to build momentum towards their sophomore EP 'Be The Change' which is due for release later this year. Accompanied on this occasion by a simple yet emotional music video, Friends At The Falls are set to continue on their upward trajectory through 2021 and beyond.
We had a chance to speak with the duo as part of our Introducing series...
Introduce yourselves and tell us a bit about you guys! "We’re two life-long best friends originally from New York and now settled in Los Angeles. We’ve been releasing music seriously for about 3 years now, and feel super lucky to be on this journey together!"
Jake: "I definitely grew up in a music infused household. Each couch had a guitar leaning on it, just in case inspiration struck while watching your favorite show. My dad always made it like that to inspire creativity. Between music, athletics, and a great childhood/adolescent friend group, I never had an issue keeping busy growing up. As the years have gone by, I’ve made some great friends and I’ve lost some great friends. I still keep active through running/working out and playing pick up games of basketball and baseball whenever I find the time. But the two constants in my life that have never changed are my love for music and my friendship with Matt. Based on that, it’s easy to see why Friends At The Falls means so much to me."
Matt: "I’ve always loved playing and listening to music. I’ve been playing the drums since the 3rd grade and picked up the guitar and piano in college. In addition to music, I’m also very passionate about fitness, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. I’m always eager to have as many new and exciting experiences as possible. The band means a lot to me for several reasons, but mainly because it combines my love for music and an entrepreneurial side of things where I get to call something my own and know that I helped build it from the ground up. The added perk of it all is being able to share the experience with my best friend, JA!"
How did you meet and when did you start making music together?
"We’ve known each other since first grade and have always lived down the road from one another. We’ve also both been playing instruments since we were kids. Jake specifically started writing songs and seriously making music toward the end of high school, and a few years later toward the end of college we both decided to come together and start releasing music under the name Friends At The Falls."
Is there a story or meaning behind the band name?
"When we were in college we would each send at least 5 band names a day back and forth to one another. We ultimately landed on Friends At The Falls and it felt very fitting, being that we’re both from an area of New York called Croton Falls and have been best friends for our whole lives."
Where are you from and what’s your favourite thing about it? Do you feel as though your surroundings have inspired your sound in any way?
"We’re originally from New York, about an hour north of NYC. Now that we’ve stepped away from it for a few years while living on the west coast, we’ve really grown to appreciate where we came from. It feels very “lived in” and genuine, and has definitely helped to provide stories and inspiration for our songs."
Who are your biggest inspirations, musically?
"Some of our biggest inspirations musically are artists like The Killers, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, Walk The Moon and The 1975."
For anyone who hasn’t heard your music before, how would you sum it up in 5 words or less?
"Anthemic, Uplifting, Cohesive, Cinematic."
You’ve just released your new single ‘It’s Alright, Let Me Go’!
"This song was actually originally two separate ideas that had been around for a long time, dating back as far as 2017. One demo was for the chorus, and the other was for the cascading synth outro. The songs went through many iterations, but we ultimately ended up combining the two. After adding the pulsing piano chords, we knew we had something special. As for the lyrics, Jake tried to embody different perspectives of various parties within a break-up. Mainly focusing on how it affects different people in different ways, and knowing when to quit."
Do you have a favourite lyric from the track?
"Our favourite lyric from this song would probably have to be “I felt secure in what I thought I knew, I guess I picked a bad time to not be over you”"
You’re working towards the release of your sophomore EP ‘Be The Change’, due to be released later in the year! Can you give us any hints as to what we can expect?
"With this EP we really set out to make each one of the songs something that we would look up to as a listener. We feel within our genre that the sound has gotten smaller and smaller, and we always admired the acts that have a sound that can fill arena sized rooms. We’ve always worked hard to make our sound lean in that direction, and with this record we feel that we’ve achieved that. We’re truly very proud of this collection of songs."
What else is in the pipeline for you guys?
"Though we’re working hard to promote the release of the ‘Be The Change’ EP, we’re already deep in the song-writing and recording process for the following EP. By the end of 2021 we should have most of the record mixed and mastered and ready to be released by 2022."
‘It’s Alright, Let Me Go’ is out now. Listen HERE @friendsatthefalls
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