Meg Ivy Brunning
Music journalist and photographer based in Cardiff (for now). Just trying to write about music that moves me in someway. If you do wish to find me though, I’ll usually be tucked away listening to music, talking to an animal on the street like a modern day Snow White or at a gig somewhere!
Friendly Fires’ latest track, ‘Lose All Your Friends’, is a step back to their roots, made for the weekend, and is a single that is allowed to breathe.
If there’s one rule I lived by in my early twenties, and still do sometimes now at 27, it’s that the best nights out are always the ones where nothing really goes to plan. You know exactly what I’m talking about… you lose your mates somewhere in a crowd, your phone is on 1% and you somehow end up on a rooftop of some random guy’s penthouse apartment watching the tubes go by below you, speaking about the future as if it’s already happened. That exact chaotic, unexpected nature is what Friendly Fires have captured in their triumphant newest single, ‘Lose All Your Friends’.
Ever since their Mercury Prize-nominated debut album dropped way back in 2008 (a moment in time that simultaneously feels like five minutes ago and a lifetime away), Friendly Fires have always operated like some kind of myth. They teeter in and out of hibernation, only emerging from their creative hiding when the stars align and everything feels right. As the stars finally come back into focus and realign since their 2019 acclaimed album ‘Inflorescent‘, the iconic band are back as a re-energised two-piece consisting of Ed Macfarlane and Edd Gibson… And honestly? You can feel that fresh energy radiating from the second you hit play.
Turning their process back to their roots, things feel stripped back in a way that they maybe haven’t in a while. By stripping away all of that (what some may consider) over-processed polish and replacing it with garage recordings… the track is allowed to just breathe. The live drums hit harder, the bass feels warmer, and the whole track just flows without feeling forced. It’s real humans making real music, so to speak.
Despite what may appear as an ominous title, the track is actually pure optimism. It sees them approaching music from a place that sees them embracing the unknown, unabashedly and filled with courage. As the band put it: “Sometimes you have to lose everything to start again. Embrace the chaos. Take a chance. Don’t be afraid of change.” It feels like an anthem for finding a new path, taking a step back to assess, and… well… start again. Sometimes we have to lean into life’s detours, celebrate the missteps, and trust that taking the path unknown might just lead us to the time of our lives.
This track feels like the start of the rest of Friendly Fires career—a genuine rebirth. Less about chasing perfection and more so about capturing that euphoric, hands-in-the-air human connection.
‘Lose All Your Friends’ is out now via LAB Records. Throw this track on at the weekend, embrace change, and don’t panic if you lose your best friend in the middle of a crowd—you’ll always find your way back to where you need to be.
Listen to ‘Lose All Your Friends‘ here:
Catch Friendly Fires at the following:
27 Sept – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, USA ^
28 Sept – Elsewhere, Brooklyn, NY, USA – SOLD OUT
29 Sept – MGM Music Hall at Fenway, Boston, MA, USA ^
10 Oct – Bugged Out! 2026, London, UK
^ = Supporting Two Door Cinema Club