Grooblen's newest EP release FRIENDO is a breath of experimental fresh air in the current age of local music. For fans of the absurd, strange and unusual, Grooblen presents you with four new songs. Themes of vulnerability, loss of relationships, and dysmorphia are carried throughout this entire release. Through this, the listener can relate to at least one aspect the music represents, whether it's the meaning behind the raw lyrics, the story the songs tell, or just the head-banging moments.

Thanks to their last release, Egg Freeze, which dropped in April of 2024, this EP release was much anticipated by the San Francisco music scene. Coming off of their most recent FRIENDO tour, this release comes during the turning point of springtime in SF, meshing sunny instrumentals with hard-hitting lyrics.

Ellie Stokes, the lead singer of Grooblen, guides the listener by hand on the emotional journey of this EP, bringing the songs’ stories to you in a journalistic manner. Drummer Sean Aaron bolsters the album throughout, bringing the hard-hitting themes to the surface and combating them with powerful, almost emotionally charged rhythms. The ebb and flow of echoing rage to steady, quiet percussion mirrors the depth of the songs’ meaning. Vocal backups by Eva Alejandra also bring an introspective, reflective aspect to each song, mimicking a conversation with the lead vocals. With flute being played by Jack Lillian with Alejandro Lara-Agraz and Spencer Lay, the bass and guitar players, they bring an interesting and unique tone to the songs and give this EP that signature 'psychedelic space-y Grooblen sound.’ Producer Jim Greer (also the producer for artists like Foster the People and Handsome Boy Modeling School), returns to this work after helping sessions through Grooblen's previous release of A Wormhole Is A Freeway To The Stars. Through this release, you can truly find out how Grooblen got their title as San Francisco's "Experimental Psych Pop Cabaret."

Let's dive into each track!

The Convenience of Being:

Opening up the EP is the confrontational song, "The Convenience of Being," which hits the main message of the release right on the nail. Even though this song was released previously in February, in context to the newly released tracks following in the EP, this song has a whole new meaning and perspective. Exploring the idea of manipulation and distancing yourself from a friend that is taking advantage of you, the track is incredibly relatable and vulnerable. With lyrics like “Indulging words you know aren’t true. You are an ‘empath’, I should be lucky if I listen to you”, you find yourself with a certain someone in your mind that matches that description, whether you like it or not.

Like a Gator Does:

Vulnerability, dysmorphia and the expression of loss within yourself all rise to the surface with the second song of the EP, "Like a Gator Does." ‘Still I Try’ is the recurring lyric throughout the song, giving the listener (and especially me) a view inside the brain of Ellie Stokes through all of the chaos and uncertainty she is feeling. Contemplating getting a double-piercing to relieve thoughts of anxiety is something most of us have experienced and refused to acknowledge. Listening to this song is like a breath of fresh air. Feeling both the exhaustion of trying to swim to the surface of your own mind while acknowledging these challenges in the first place is something rarely expressed by artists. The instrumentals of the song almost feel like you are drowning in the emotions of the lyrics and fighting for a way out of the so-called ‘moat’ of the gator.

How Are You?:

A familiar feeling of wondering/asking how someone is when you are disconnected from them. ‘How Are You?’, the third song in the EP, is written almost like a journal entry intended for someone who will never read it. Challenging the idea of wanting to ask someone how they are doing, even across emotional distances, this song explores giving someone something that you don't have in the first place. Reaching out to someone, even though you have the risk of being perceived as strange, is something you might only admit in a diary but, Grooblen takes it a step forward and embraces the awkwardness of these scenarios. Explaining to someone that you are reaching out to them because you truly care is a vulnerable and raw experience that feels alienating and risks rejection and hurt from that person. Wonky and complex guitar and bass work follow along with the progression of the realization that opening yourself up to someone can bring unfamiliar feelings.

Feels Real:

The final and new song in the EP, "Feels Real," is the exploration of information-overload concerning the shock about something new. Coming to terms with feeling numb in the face of new discoveries about a situation, while still recognizing that the shock is very much real, is the overwhelmed state the song takes you through. Going all or nothing, the entire band gives all their energy towards the concluding notes of the track, emphasizing its role as our final memory of the EP. Combining the personal overstimulation in the lyrics with the head-banging drums, bass, and guitar, the EP ends with a final goodbye to the listener.

After listening to this EP, I am left with a sense of reflection with both myself and the artists. This is a certain sound and feeling I can only get through a release as vulnerable and open-minded as this one. From the beginning of the listening process, starting with a reflection on relationships and concluding with deeply vulnerable introspection, you can’t help but connect FRIENDO to yourself and your own personal journey.

Want more Grooblen? Of course you do! Listen to the full EP and find more of their unique sounds here. Learn more about upcoming tours, releases and the inside soup on their Instagram.

Artwork for EP cover by Sean Aaron (Drums/Arrangements)