RETURN WITH BRAND NEW SINGLE & VIDEO
‘haha’
Photo credit: Anthony Dickenson
PLAYING FOUR NIGHTS AT O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON IN JUNE SUPPORTING
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM
[London, Friday 6th June] Today, all-female four piece Friedberg return with brand new single ‘haha’, produced by Dan Carey (Hot Chip, Fontaines D.C, Wet Leg) via Clouds Hill, stream here. Their first release of the year comes shortly after they were announced to support LCD Soundsystem on the 12th – 15th June, the first four shows of an epic eight date residency at London’s Brixton Academy.
Making a bold departure from their signature alt-rock roots, ‘haha’, at just 2:01 long, is driven by electronic beats, distorted textures, and an industrial edge. Moody, abrasive, and charged with a sense of controlled chaos, it signals a fearless evolution in Friedberg’s sound.
The music video, directed by Anthony Dickenson, is a plunge into a dark, hallucinatory world where tribal-infused contemporary dance meets surreal thrill. Set in a shifting dreamscape of shadows, smoke, and glitching light, which sees flashes of the Anna appear throughout – distorted, fleeting, and unsettling. Watch here.
Speaking on the new single, frontwoman Anna of Friedberg says “We were just messing around at Dan’s (Carey) studio, started up the drum machine, I started singing the vocal line and then Dan hit that synth in the chorus, and we both looked at each other like, ‘Ok, that’s it…’ . It came together so quick and I just love when that happens. The song kinda spiralled from there — into this thing about curated perfection, someone who’s mastered the mirror but lost the plot. Spinning in the void between Selbstbild (Self-image) and Fremdbild (Foreign image). It drives me mad and also kind of makes me think: How do you leave the performance before it rewrites you?”
2024 was a triumphant year for the band, which saw them release debut album “Hardcore Workout Queen”, which was met with widespread acclaim, with major publications praising the band’s unique sound and dynamic energy. “The London-based four-piece led by Austrian singer-songwriter Anna F serve up the coolest dance punk this side of LCD Soundsystem,” noted The Observer, capturing the essence of their appeal. The Telegraph lauded their thrilling blend of sardonic alt-rock and fierce riffs, while the Daily Star simply called it “utterly irresistible.” CLASH highlighted the band’s relentless momentum and global presence, describing them as a dance-punk force in motion. Guitar.com celebrated the album’s sharp, chaotic guitar work and propulsive rhythms, and Far Out dubbed it a “masterpiece,” placing Friedberg at the forefront of the indie pop landscape. Further support throughout the year included: The Observer – Ones To Watch, Sunday Mirror – Rising Star, NME, DIY, DORK, Official Charts, 1883 and 6 Music with Steve Lamacq, Huw Stephens, Chris Hawkins, Jess Izsatt at BBC Introducing and Xposure on Radio X.
The band also proved their music well and truly translates to the stage, with live shows which saw them play at SXSW and Great Escape Festival, touring the US with German indie rock band Giant Rooks, and supports with Black Country duo Big Special and British alt-rock band Placebo, as well as play their debut headline shows at London’s 100 Club, The Lexington and The Windmill.
Formed in 2019 by the Austrian-born Anna Friedberg (writer, vocals, guitar, cowbells and percussion), the line up is completed by London/Berlin-based Emily Linden (guitar, vocals), Fifi Dewey (bass, vocals) and Sian Monaghan (drums). Friedberg’s early success came from single ‘Go Wild’ – a runaway hit that featured on the FIFA 2020 soundtrack, and in BBC’s Normal People – and their stellar debut EP ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah’, a razor-sharp collection of belters designed for the live stage.
FRIEDBERG 2025 UK LIVE DATES
12 June – LCD Soundsystem support – O2 Academy Brixton, London, UK
13 June – LCD Soundsystem support – O2 Academy Brixton, London, UK
14 June – LCD Soundsystem support – O2 Academy Brixton, London, UK
15 June – LCD Soundsystem support – O2 Academy Brixton, London, UK
19 July – Homestead Festival, Somerset, UK
01 August – Camp Bestival, Dorset, UK
Photo credit: Anthony Dickenson
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