FRIEDBERG @ Musik & Frieden in Berlin
Last Thursday, September 26th, FRIEDBERG played for the first time in Berlin. The all-female band took the stage of Music & Frieden and although at first we could have thought we were about to see a young band without much experience on stage, once the show started their scenic skills and manners made us realized that despite having indeed just a few months of life as a band, its members already have come a long way.
The band takes its name from founder and front woman Anna Friedberg. An Austrian actress, singer and songwriter before known as Anna F who had already released two solo albums and had been awarded in Austria and Italy. Anna even supported Lenny Kravitz on his European Tour and after releasing her first album she left Austria and settle down in Berlin, like many other artists.
FRIEDBERG. Photo by Max Parovsky
Berlin happened before going on a road trip in the footsteps of Beat Poets for an arte production across California where she would fell in love with Joshua Tree, settling there to write poems and songs in isolation. And precisely there, in the desert of California the germen of FRIEDBERG would start to grow. Anna called her friends Daniel Brandt (from German acoustic techno ensemble Brandt Brauer Frick) and Matthias Biermann (from the band Roosevelt), who happened to be in California too. Jamming out together in an improvised studio, influenced by the mystic of the place, a first song came out.
The song, released on 8th February 2019 through LGM Records was BOOM, probably the most acclaimed one last Thursday night at Musik & Frieden.
Precisely about BOOM, Anna says: "I have the feeling that ‘Boom' is like an antithesis to the stillness of the desert where even the gentlest note, every single word you speak, almost every thought you have echoes like a ‘Boom' in the middle of the desert. I think the song somehow reflects and captures the isolationism of the desert quite well. The lyrics of the song are actually about the most cold-hearted and evil human who does whatever it takes for self-preservation. This person kind of resembles a cult leader, having the complete control over others. You are not able to sense the evil powers or inabilities but if you do, you are not able to escape anymore, unless the person decides to throw you away when you are all emptied and sucked out and of no use to that person anymore, somehow like a vampire of love”.
Shortly after California, Anna would move to London where she would team up with Emily Linden (Guitar), Laura Williams (Drums) and Cheryl Pinero (Bass Guitar) to start playing some secret shows as FRIEDBERG in the Summer of 2018.
Anna explains: "I asked them if they would like to go for a jam and so we locked ourselves into a rehearsal space for 5 days, jamming the new songs I had brought back from California. I was just overwhelmed by the energy of us 4 together and how good it sounded after only a few days of rehearsals. We decided to hit the stage at an open mic night in London, and got a great reaction from the crowd so it was clear for us that we should stick together as a band and take it from there. FRIEDBERG was born”.
FRIEDBERG is a guitars band with a raw and garage sound that I loved. Totally recommended seeing them live and Im sure they are just at the beginning of a successful career.
With future shows in London, follow them on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated on any news or more upcoming shows.
Cover photograph by Max Parovsky
