Today, Dead Oceans announces Friends Of, a new project that extends the label’s dedication to dynamic and innovative collaboration. Friends Of is a series of special releases from an array of artists who may otherwise operate outside of the Secretly roster, but have now joined the group’s creative community in ways uniquely suited to the current moment.
Friends Of Dead Oceans include Bongeziwe Mabandla, Devendra Banhart & Noah Georgeson, Julie Byrne & Trayer Tryon, Madison McFerrin, Routine (Annie Truscott & Jay Som), Triathalon, and more. We are so excited to announce new Friends Of releases in the coming weeks and months.
While the seeds of Friends Of were planted in 2019, the project came to fruition as a way to address the rapid, drastic changes in how music is created and shared in the pandemic. On the genesis of the series and experimenting with the scale of Secretly, Jon Coombs, Secretly Group VP of A&R, says:
“Music and friendship have always been inextricable. Our favorite records and artists are like dependable, empathetic friends themselves: helping us through tough times, cheering us through bright ones, amping us up or calming us down. The right song can remind us that it’s only half an inch of water when we think we’re going to drown. Across the board, we are better when we surround ourselves with friends that inspire and enrich us, and the artists taking part do exactly that. And so Friends Of is also an extension of this sentiment. We’re happy to call these artists friends, some old and some new, and are excited to help bring their art to the world. We hope you enjoy and make a new friend along the way.”
With the launch of Friends Of, Dead Oceans continues to answer the uncertainty of 2020 with an ambitious, artist-first approach to instituting actionable change, and standing firmly by the principle that the most important cultural contributions come from artists and small to medium-sized businesses.