BEAR by Friendship Commanders is out!

From Buick Audra:

Friends!

The fourth album by my band Friendship Commanders is now in the world! It’s called BEAR, and it’s a ten-song project about belonging, being an outsider, and embracing the margins. We made it with our friend and collaborator Kurt Ballou in Salem, MA, and truly had the best time doing so. The title references all definitions of the word: to carry, endure, and give birth to. And also, the beast. I wrote the project during a season of realizing I had maybe never been accepted by womanhood on the whole, often being too much and not enough at exactly the same time. Those same people expected my service, solidarity, and support—but not my strength. That season of examining rejection gave way to acknowledging where I have always fit: in factions of the arts, outsider culture, and the fringe. There is a balance between the two primary territories on this record, and I believe it’s our strongest work to date. I hope you love it!

We were featured in SPIN last week; interviewed by Jedd Beaudoin on the NPR podcast, INTO MUSIC; and given some incredible reviews, including my favorite one here, from METAL EPIDEMIC. Grateful for all of it!

We released a video for the latest single, DRAIN, alongside the album! DRAIN is a personal favorite, and and absolutely leveling piece of music to sing. Enjoy!

ORDER BEAR

STREAM BEAR

WATCH DRAIN VIDEO

We’ve already started playing shows in support of the new album! Kansas City and Tulsa were a killer time. Next run starts this Thursday, October 16th in Columbus! Check our dates and come see us! Playing the new songs on stage is a blast.

Thanks to everyone who is listening! My sincere appreciation for your support and presence here. Hope BEAR finds you where you are!

Buick Audra

Buick Audra solo shows this week! And Friendship Commanders' new single, FOUND!

From BA:

Hey, friends!

Just freshly home from the weekend of Friendship Commanders’ preview shows ahead of our album release and related touring—and I’m turning right back around to play some solo dates. I’m excited to be hitting Athens GA tomorrow (9/24) for the first time as a solo artist, and Savannah GA on Thursday (9/25) for the first time in any project! Have passed through that beautiful city many times, but this will be my first time setting up my gear and playing. Really looking forward to both shows! Come see me if you’re in either area! Details here and below.

The last time I wrote to you, I mentioned that my album ADULT CHILD and its opening track THE WORST PEOPLE WIN had both been submitted for GRAMMY nomination consideration! We’re currently in the voting season, so if you’re a member of the Recording Academy, my work is eligible! If you’d like further details on the project and track, it’s all available at the FYC page! Thanks in advance for your consideration.

In other news, Friendship Commanders just released a single called FOUND with a corresponding music video! This song is about the sacred connection with one’s art, and how the sensitivity required to make said art is a gift. For much of my life, this set of characteristics I carry around felt like a sort of liability, something to overcome. But I have come to see these traits as super powers—in myself and in others. To be protected at all costs. The song and vid premiered at CVLT Nation who called it “the perfect balance of anthemic and underground,” which we love! Hope you enjoy it!

Our new album BEAR will be here on October 10th, with our album release dates beginning on October 9th! We’re also doing a Bandcamp listening party on October 8th. At said party, we’ll be announcing the winner of our signed test pressing giveaway! To enter, just pre-order a physical copy of the album on Bandcamp by the end of day on October 4th. We’ll be pulling the name from the pre-orders!

That’s it for now! I’m so grateful for your time and attention, I hope you’re doing well, and I’ll see some of you at the shows this week!

Buick Audra

September solo electric dates for Buick Audra! And Friendship Commanders have two more songs out, and Fall tour has been announced!

FROM BA:

Pals!

First, I had the best time on my July solo electric tour dates in support of my album ADULT CHILD! Thanks to all who came out, played, worked, and shared about the shows! I hadn’t toured solo in a couple of years and it was so lovely to be out there with the songs, one guitar, and a 35mm camera I took along with me (more on that in a minute).

Today, I’m happy to share two more upcoming solo electric shows, this time in the Southeast! Looking forward to hitting Athens and Savannah a month from now! Dates below; please come see me if I’m headed your way.

Speaking of ADULT CHILD, I was notified last week that somebody submitted the album and its opening song, THE WORST PEOPLE WIN, to be considered for GRAMMY nominations! The person is a Recording Academy voting member who feels strongly about the work and submitted it in the following categories:

• Best Alternative Music Album - ADULT CHILD

• Best Rock Song - “THE WORST PEOPLE WIN”

• Best Alternative Music Performance - “THE WORST PEOPLE WIN” 

If you are a voting member, please be advised that my work can be voted for in this preliminary round! What a thing. Stay tuned for more information on this!

In Friendship Commanders news, we released another dual single on August 13th: X / MIDHEAVEN! Like the set of songs that preceded this drop, KEEPING SCORE and MELT, these two tracks hold down different ends of the tonal spectrum contained within our forthcoming album, BEAR. Some sugar, some salt. Some light, some dark. I think you’ll find that X lands firmly on the more lush side of things, while MIDHEAVEN rides horseback at night with no lantern. Both discuss identity, influence, and belonging. We made videos for both the singles because we’re out of our minds! The vid for X is a loving send-up to Gen X heroes taken too soon, and in the second verse you can catch me shooting a vintage Lomo Zenith camera in the line about our late friend and collaborator, Steve Albini. It was his camera. The very same one I took with me on ADULT CHILD tour. I’m incredibly moved to have it in my possession, and to have been able to use it in this piece of art. The vid for MIDHEAVEN gets away from the sentimental and tackles the larger ideas of what makes us who we are; is it the stars in the sky? Nature? Nurture? One thing seems clear to me, those who insist that they know should be viewed with a healthy amount of skepticism. This song offers that lens of scrutiny. Meanwhile, enjoy the single shot in the bridge! It was some serious work to get it!

FC are also touring this Fall, with the first pair of shows coming up just three weeks from now. Dates here and below! And if you haven’t pre-ordered BEAR yet, we’ve added some new merch offerings, including an album cover t-shirt. The full album will be here on October 10th via our new label, Magnetic Eye Records!

In summary, yes, I’m doing both projects at once right now, which is wild but also quite gratifying. Every time I feel like collapsing, I remind myself that I’ve wanted this all of my life. And I pause for a minute and get back to work. Thanks for being here to receive the fruits of the labor!

See you out there,

Buick Audra

KEEPING SCORE / MELT dual single by Friendship Commanders out today! BEAR album coming in October! Also: Buick Audra solo electric tour dates start tomorrow, 7/16!

FROM FC:

FRIENDS.

First, hello! We're so happy to be here with you all. Hope you're okay. Better than okay! Second, we have so much to tell you! Allow us to start at the beginning.

We've signed a multiple-album deal with Magnetic Eye Records! Truly! We're so happy about it, glad to be among such a cool heavy music community, and absolutely thrilled to have a good home for our forthcoming album!

Speaking of which, BEAR will be released on October 10th through Magnetic Eye! It's an album about the ever-elusive idea of belonging—where it occurs, and where it absolutely does not. BEAR was co-produced by us—Buick Audra (guitars, vocals) and Jerry Roe (drums, bass)—along with our longtime collaborator, Kurt Ballou. Pre-orders just went live!

The first dual single, KEEPING SCORE / MELT, is out everywhere today, along with dynamic videos! The video for MELT premiered in Decibel Magazine last week, and KEEPING SCORE is live today!

---

One last thing! Buick's solo album ADULT CHILD has been out for one full month now, and her solo electric tour dates start tomorrow, July 16th! Check her dates to see if she's coming anywhere near you!

We appreciate you more than you know, and we hope you love the new work!
Buick & Jerry, FC

Buick Audra's new album ADULT CHILD is out! The Nashville album release show is tonight!

FROM BA:

Dear friends,

Today I bring you my fourth solo album, ADULT CHILD! I am so proud to be here, to have made this work. All throughout this release cycle, I’ve said that this is a record about identity, estrangement, and trying to outrun one’s lineage—my lineage. And it is. But it’s also a record about being a person, a record I made with friends, that I crafted out of melodies which floated in and out of my head, bright yellow tempera paint, and sentiments I couldn’t pin down anywhere but in song. It was handmade, and now I’m hand-delivering it to you. I hope you love it!

In addition to the album, I’m thrilled to share the video for FIRSTBORN, an anthem about self-ownership and acceptance, and the only acoustic track on the album. Directed by me and Jerry Roe, who also shot and edited it!

It’s a big day for me - thank you for being part of it!

ADULT CHILD

Written & produced by Buick Audra

Recorded by Justin Francis & Buick Audra

Assisted by Skyler Chuckry & Joanna Finley at Sound Emporium

Mixed by Kurt Ballou

Mastered by Brad Boatright

Buick Audra - guitars, vocals, & art

Kris Donegan - guitars

Lex Price - bass

Jerry Roe - drums, percussion, & synths

ORDER ADULT CHILD

STREAM ADULT CHILD

LISTEN TO MY INTERVIEW ON INTO MUSIC (NPR)

READ THE ALBUM PREMIERE / INTERVIEW AT ROCK AND ROLL GLOBE

READ / WATCH THE FIRSTBORN VIDEO PREMIERE AT NORTHERN TRANSMISSIONS

My album release show is tonight at the Basement, a true Nashville venue if ever there was one! I’m elated to be playing my new album with my same collaborators from the record, and my friend Grant-Lee Phillips is opening the evening! What’s not to love? Doors are at 6:30 and the music starts promptly at 7; hope to see many of you there! If I don’t, check my tour dates below to see if I’m coming your way in July!

BUY ALBUM RELEASE SHOW TICKETS

There will be more soon, but right now I’m just happy to be here, on release day, my songs making their way into the world. What a thing!

My love and solidarity to each of you; I so appreciate your time and attention.

Enjoy ADULT CHILD!

Buick

New Buick Audra single IT ALL BELONGED TO ME out today + tour dates announced!

From BA:

Happy Friday, friends!

I’m thrilled to share the newest single from my forthcoming album with you today: IT ALL BELONGED TO ME, a love song for my hometown, Miami. I’m often asked if I ever go back, and I don’t always know how to answer. So, I did what’s most natural for me and answered with a song. Of the collection of compositions on my forthcoming album, ADULT CHILD, this one took the longest to write, and it was almost not recorded at all. Let me explain:

Before I knew I was making a record about being a firstborn adult child daughter (and also the black sheep of the family who’s long estranged from all parental figures), I started to hear pieces of this song. At first, it was the chorus melody and lyrics, “I don’t go home now, I don’t feel allowed.” That worked, it stuck. Then there was this melodic riff I thought would eventually be a lead guitar part. I wrote some verses and put the song away. That was April of 2021. In January of 2022, I went back and re-wrote those verses—a practice that’s very unusual for me. I almost never re-write. I put it away again. Then, in November of 2023, I heard a bridge. I was in a hotel room in Youngstown, OH, on tour with my other band. I suddenly knew exactly how that part of the song should go, and recorded it into my voice memos app on my phone. And THEN, in March of 2024, I went back through all of the drafts, and put together the form you’re hearing today, which is closest to the original draft. Recorded it two weeks later with my band. Brought it to the session as a “maybe.”

Once we tracked it, it became one of the most important pieces of the album, and certainly one of my favorite recordings. Some songs just take a minute. But in my experience, if they keep showing up and knocking on the door of your psyche, they’re still making their way to you. Be patient, I say to myself. I’m so glad I was.

That melodic riff that I thought would be a guitar? I hummed it instead. This one has a certain breeziness to it, a warm air. Just like Miami. This subject is painful for me, but it’s also true. I’ll always be from there, even if I can’t go back just now. It still belonged to me for a time. Enjoy.

STREAM IT ALL BELONGED TO ME

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR IT ALL BELONGED TO ME

PRE-ORDER ADULT CHILD

On top of the new single, I’m so happy to share my upcoming tour dates! The official album release show is happening on release day, June 13, here in Nashville at the Basement—I’ll have my full band with me for that one. And then in July I’m heading out for a run of solo electric dates that I’m super excited about! If I’m coming to you city, please come out! It’s been a couple of years since I’ve done a solo tour and I’m looking forward to playing this body of work on stage, at long last. If you’re not anywhere near the shows, I’m also doing a livestream listening party on Bandcamp on June 11, two full days before the record is out! Free!

ALL EVENTS HERE

I can’t believe this record is finally almost here! Thanks to all who have pre-ordered physical merch! I added handwritten lyrics (pictiued below) to the Bandcamp offerings, if you’re the type to appreciate collectible wares—I know I am!

Oh, and I’d be remiss not to include this stunning review of YELLOW by B-Side Guys; I’m so grateful to have my work understood! I appreciate the listening, watching, sharing, coverage, and even quiet support. Releasing work has never been easy for me, so it means the world.

I hope you love IT ALL BELONGED TO ME! Turn her up as the summer draws near!

That’s it! See you in a four weeks,

Buick Audra

Buick Audra's new single YELLOW is out today!

FROM BA:

Hello, friends!

I’m returning to you today with another piece of new work: YELLOW, the second single from my forthcoming album, ADULT CHILD (out June 13)! YELLOW was the last song written for the project, recorded in a very different way. Here’s the story:

ADULT CHILD was never intended to be a full-length album. In truth, I didn’t know what it was at first. After I released Conversations with My Other Voice in the Fall of 2022, I started to write some songs that felt like new project contenders—the first of which was QUESTIONS FOR THE GODS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR—and I set about recording two of them at Sound Emporium with my band. A year later, I went back into the studio and tracked four more. A six-song EP, I thought. Tidy, concise. I had some idea that I might add an all vocal track later, and maybe a short spoken piece, but it would still likely be an EP. Alas, during the second full-band session for the project, I caught myself doing something. I was speaking ill of myself in front of my collaborators, somewhat jokingly, but not entirely. When I got home that night, I had to sit with that behavior and where it came from. I later wrote YELLOW about it, and recorded it myself.

Jerry Roe is the only other musician on the track, and his drum performance was obtained a bit unconventionally. Instead of playing him the song and having him write a corresponding part, I gave him a set of feels and tempos I was interested in having him play around, and tracked him doing each of those for several minutes at a time. I later cut up those recordings, built the drum part from there, and tracked guitars and vocals over that. He didn’t actually hear the song until it was completed.

There’s more: I received news of my friend Steve Albini’s passing in the middle of building YELLOW, so he’s very much a part of this recording for me. The subject of asking why I beat myself up combined with grieving Steve was a potent combination. And it was all captured here. The video was directed by me; shot and edited by Jerry Roe. It’s about the truths that lay you flat on the ground, and other parts of you that want to help you get back up and live.

I hope you love YELLOW as much as I do. She was the song that made ADULT CHILD an album. I’m quite proud of her.

STREAM YELLOW

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR YELLOW

READ THE GLIDE PREMIERE OF YELLOW

PRE-ORDER ADULT CHILD

My deepest gratitude for all the love around the first single from the album, QUESTIONS FOR THE GODS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. I’ve been waiting a while to share this work with you, and it heartens me to see the early reception. Below are some kind words about that first piece of the ADULT CHILD story!

Also, I wrote an essay for Atwood Magazine about this record, my inherited familial roles, and finally getting some better footing with myself; it’s called “On Learning to Be Proud of My Music as a Firstborn Adult Child Daughter.” It was an honor to have it included in their Women’s History Month Series!

That’s it for now! The next Bandcamp Friday is May 2nd; if you haven’t pre-ordered ADULT CHILD yet, that would be a terrific day to do so! Grab the limited merch while it’s still around!

In the meantime, enjoy YELLOW!

Thank you so much for being here; I appreciate your time and attention,

Buick Audra

P.S. Friendship Commanders are at LEGALIZE LEX in Lexington, KY tomorrow, April 19th! Come say hi!

New Buick Audra single QUESTIONS FOR THE GODS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR out today + ADULT CHILD album coming 6/13!

FROM BA:

Friends!

I’m overjoyed to share two things with you today! The first is the lead single from my forthcoming album! It’s called QUESTIONS FOR THE GODS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR and it’s out everywhere right this second! It’s a song about observing patterns in myself, in my dynamics with other people, and wondering if I have the power to stop—or at least slow the progression—of the tendencies behind these cycles in my lifetime. I’ve said before that I believe it’s one of the best songs I’ve ever written and I meant it. Huge thanks to MAGNET for premiering it today! I am joined by my bandmates Jerry Roe, Lex Price, and Kris Donegan on this track, always a delight to track with them. I directed the video for the single, wanting to depict how my story can sometimes feel: visible on my skin. Enjoy!

The second piece of news is the official announcement of my new album, ADULT CHILD, releasing June 13th, 2025 on Trimming The Shield Records! This is a concept record about identity, estrangement, and trying to outrun my lineage. I think of it as a sonic collage, self-portraiture in songs, pieced together with full band tracks and scaled-back performances. I am the sole writer and producer on the project; it was recorded by Justin Francis and myself; assistant engineering at Sound Emporium was provided by Skyler Chuckry and Joanna Finley; Kurt Ballou mixed it; and Brad Boatright mastered it. I am immensely proud of this work and hope you love listening to it as much as I loved making it.

STREAM QUESTIONS FOR THE GODS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR QUESTIONS FOR THE GODS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR

READ THE MAGNET PREMIERE OF QUESTIONS FOR THE GODS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR

PRE-ORDER ADULT CHILD

I had fun with the merch bundles for ADULT CHILD, naming them after familial roles—several of which apply to me, but I think we’ll all find ourselves in there somewhere. I designed all of the merchandise for this project, wanting the items to feel personal and special, no copy repeating from piece to piece. There’s a Lyrics & Lists notebook with all of the lyrics for the record, but with 40 blank pages for your own work, whatever that may be! I had a cassette by the Dead Kennedys when I was a kid, and one side was blank, to record whatever we wanted onto it. This is my version of that: some of me, some of you! There are even limited edition matches; I fully believe in burning things in this season of life, and am happy to provide some tools of fire! Make art, be loud, keep going. That’s what I’m doing, and I wish the same for you.

I hope you love QUESTIONS FOR THE GODS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR!

Thank you for being here! I appreciate your time and attention,

Buick Audra

March 21st: First single from the new Buick Audra album!

FROM BA:

Happy February, friends!

I hope you’re doing okay! What a time, what a time. Still, we proceed. And as promised, I have news about my new music! Here we go:

The first single from my forthcoming solo album will be released on March 21st! It’s called QUESTIONS FOR THE GODS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR, and it was the first song I wrote for this record. It was the beginning. There is a part of me that can’t quite seem to stop trying certain things, hoping for different outcomes, and negotiating with immovable realities. I come by this tendency honestly—and I’ll get eyeball-deep into exactly why that is over the course of releasing this record—but I still catch myself reaching for new things with old ideas about myself, about other people. This is a song about observing that dynamic, that cycle.

As a casual aside, I believe QUESTIONS FOR THE GODS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR is one of the best songs I’ve ever written—and I’ve written a few. It beats the shit out of me, which tends to be the mark of a good one. If a song makes me sob when I try to track the vocals = decent. It hits bone. Below is a photo from the first day of tracking the new record at Sound Emporium here in Nashville.

There is more to say, more to share, more to show, but for now: 3/21/25. She’s coming! Pre-saving the single would be enormously helpful to me, plus you’ll have it the literal minute it’s released. Thank you in advance for the support!

PRE-SAVE: QUESTIONS FOR THE GODS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR

We shot the video for QUESTIONS FOR THE GODS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR this past Saturday and it was the perfect way to spend a birthday eve. I can’t wait for you to see it. Music meets visual art meets trying to outrun inherited tendencies. All my favorite stuff.

I send you love and solidarity, as always. I send you energy for whatever art or hellraising you have inside of you. And I send you hope. I believe that with every part of ourselves we choose to share, we keep hope alive.

Thank you for being here! I appreciate your time and attention,

Buick Audra

New year, new FC music on the way! First, some shows + a benefit compilation!

FROM FC:

Happy 2025, friends!

How are you? We're okay! We're inching into this new year, trying to be of service when and where we can, and preparing to make a whole lot of noise.  We have a new album on the way! It's big and bold and gets into the idea of belonging (What is it? Where do we find it?). We can't wait to share it with you, and in time, we will! First, we're going to play some shows!

Our first dates of the year are all in North Carolina in early February! We're looking forward to playing some familiar and new places with our pals in Bluething. Join us if we're coming anywhere near you! We're also thrilled to announce that we're hitting the beloved LEGALIZE LEX festival in Lexington KY on April 19th! Should be a loud, fuzzy time.

ALL TICKETS HERE

We've had California on our minds for weeks now. We send our love to everyone dealing with displacement and loss related to the fires. We're so happy to have been able to contribute a track to this compilation, LOVE LOS ANGELES: A Charity Compilation in Aid of the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires Benefiting the Mutual Aid LA Network, which is out today, January 24th! This project was put together by Hit the North Records and is exclusively available on Bandcamp. You can hear our song OF THE WE (Steve Albini Mix) alongside some powerful other music. Please support it if you can!

Cover art by Adam Sabolick

We're so grateful you're here! As always, we stand with the LGBTQIA+ community, with immigrants, with Indigenous communities, with all seeking reproductive freedom, with survivors, with disabled people, with Black, Brown, Asian, and all POC. We're afraid of what's to come, too, but we will not obey in advance. We will also not look away. We love you, we're with you. You are safe with us. Now and forever.

In solidarity,
Buick & Jerry, FC

UPCOMING SHOWS:

💎02.05.25 - Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor

💎02.06.25 - Greensboro, NC @ Flat Iron

💎02.07.25 - Winston-Salem, NC @ Hoots Beer Co.

💎02.08.25 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506

💎02.09.25 - Raleigh, NC @ Slim's

* * *
💎04.19.25 - Lexington, KY @ Al's Bar / LEGALIZE LEX