It’s no doubt that Lost Friends are picking up pace at a manic rate. The Epping group got together in the latter half of 2017 after jamming to the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian and the Red Hot Chili Peppers for about five years prior.
By January this year, they’d been hand picked by Isabella Manfredi and others to take out their first Battle of the Bands. It’s lo-fi, unrefined bedroom grunge at its core – a sunnier Sebadoh – and there’s simply not enough of it.
The band has only been kicking it for about a year or so but their fan base is decidedly staunch, making my first Lost Friends experience all the more impressive.
Lost Friends returned this month after some time off to launch their new single Reminder. I walked into a swell of sweat and pent-up energy at Waywards. The boys were hurriedly setting up and the space was completely packed out.
The crowd was thick with excitement but remained a well-behaved bunch as the band launched into a laid-back set. They worked their way through the bones and all of a modest catalogue, stopping every so often to thank the people for their support, particularly since this was their first show in a while. Wholesome.
Then, out of nowhere, the guys quite unassumingly slipped into a cover of Methyl Ethel’s Twilight Driving, complete with their own trumpet player (sax players are in short supply out at Epping). This might be the only cover I’ve heard of this song, but the trumpeting worked seamlessly.
Bods shifted with the change in energy and the chorus was readily belted out like any other Aussie anthem. It was an inspiring interlude and the boys handled it with total skill.
Switching back to their garage best, that wholesome vibe lingered for the rest of the night. “This next song is dedicated to everyone, because we think you’re all divine,” they pandered, breaking into new ditty Divine.
Not long after that we arrived at the launch track Reminder and the crowd took their cue to finally let loose. Something tells me there’s a lot more ruckus to come from these guys, watch this space.
