The duo of Niko Kapetan & Bailey Minzenberger – an essential addition to Chicago’s long lineage of forward-thinking indie rock. On Where we’ve been, Where we go from here, their full-length debut release on ATO Records, the band merges elements of post-punk & chamber-pop & experimental rock, magnifying their music’s exhilarating power with a steady barrage of spirited gang vocals. Poetic, explosive, & sublimely raw in feeling, the album brings an equally visceral intensity to brutally heavy anthems & heart-on-sleeve ballads alike, creating an immediate outlet for the most unwieldy emotions. Formed in 2019, Friko soon began taking the stage at legendary Chicago venues like the Metro, Empty Bottle and Schubas Tavern, self-releasing their acclaimed debut EP Whenever Forever in 2022 and making their festival debut at Bonnaroo the following spring. Known for their high-energy live show, Friko aim to deliver a live experience that’s fantastically disorienting in its emotional arc. Mastered by Heba Kadry (Björk, Big Thief) and engineered by Jack Henry and Scott Tallarida, Where we’ve been, Where we go from here embodies a sonic complexity befitting of a band that names Romantic-era classical music and the more primal edges of art-rock among their inspirations. Friko hopes that their music’s emotional potency might have a galvanizing impact on audiences. Niko says, “I want our music to pick people up, so that they can actually go out and do something with whatever they’re feeling.”