Raelyn Nelson does not want to be your friend.
Videos by American Songwriter
Singing about the less popular type of breakup, a fractured friendship, Willie Nelson’s granddaughter refuses to mince words in her latest single entitled “Friend.” Raelyn immediately sets the tone at the opening of the song before rushing onward with exhilarating lyrics and ambitious melodies.
“I wrote this song about a lost friendship,” Raelyn told American Songwriter. “We were sitting on it all year and planned to release the song when the pandemic was over and everything opened back up. But by the end of 2020, I thought a lot of people could relate to it.”
The sentiment is certainly familiar, especially when our current situation makes visiting friends a weighty ordeal. Raelyn builds off of the pent-up frustration of growing apart, creating the rowdy anthem. She specified that “it’s really a fun song about a sad situation, letting out aggression in the moment, and not about holding a lifetime grudge.”
With the support of band members Jonathan Bright (guitars/vocals/drums) and Preach Rutherford (bass), “Friend” thunders onto the scene with Raelyn’s signature blend of country and punk with a dash of garage rock.
“We recorded at our signature spot, Halfway Decent Sounds, in Nashville,” Raelyn explained. “We tracked it individually because of the pandemic and my guitar player (Jonathan Bright) actually played the drums.”
With the exuberance of Bright’s drumming, the guitars produce an explosive youthfulness to keep up. “The big guitars are my favorite,” Raelyn said. “They perfectly express musically the emotion behind the lyrics.”
Overall, “Friend” is the headbanging track that everyone deserves to rock out to. The band has successfully served the song as an up-tempo foot-stomper, and Raelyn Nelson continues to prove her songwriting chops.
Listen to “Friend” below and find out more here.
