Wolverhampton-based outfit FRIEDA STAR has officially arrived with their debut single, ‘Mothers and Sisters’, out now. The track introduces the band’s signature Black Country sound, characterized by Xavier Al-Naqib’s “life-affirming” basslines, James Knott’s intricate guitar work, and the textured drumming of Scarlett Churchill. This debut effort serves as a vehicle for songwriter Garran Hickman’s idiosyncratic lyrics, blending fuzzy indie sensibilities with a sharp, scintillating energy. To celebrate the launch, the group will perform their first headline show next week on February 7 at the Sunflower Lounge in Birmingham.
The single carries a heavy and vital message, born from a distressing real-life experience. The band revealed that the track “was inspired by an up-skirting incident involving Garran’s girlfriend, while returning home from Birmingham via the railway.” Hickman used his songwriting as a cathartic outlet for the “frustrations and angst” following the event. In a collective statement, the band expressed their hope that the song “demands the attention this injustice deserves,” noting that these “monstrous forms of misogyny are still present in modern society yet having been highlighted for decades.”