Frank Friend is a composer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist creating a unique brand of homegrown hip-hop meets indie.
“Friend won't be stopped. I've seen him win over noisy crowds of several hundred at places like the Distillery in Bradenton”–Wade Tatangelo (Bradenton Herald Staff Writer)
Solo Work - 2007 saw two releases from Frank Friend. The first “Early Saturday Morning” containing ten self-produced home recordings, features Friend's original composition and vocal style on all tracks. This release showcases many unique collaborations with guests Travis Hampton, Nathan K, Kid Bazooka and Bobby Griffin. The second “Musical Wallpaper (2003-2007)” includes thirteen dynamic instrumental tracks that leave the listener feeling calmer and refreshed, featuring no guests. In early 2009 "the Petra Haden ep" was issued, a concept album featuring various samples from Petra Haden on every track. Currently, Friend is working on two solo projects simultaneously. More details soon!
Daylight District - Since 2004, Daylight District have been creating a unique brand of indie rock meets hip hop—seamlessly fusing composition and improvisation. Frank Friend is vocalist, keyboardist, composer. Some recent DD highlights include playing The State Theatre in St. Petersburg and The Florida Music Festival in Orlando. On May 9th of 2008, DD released their full-length “Beautiful, Historic” - the band's second release to date. Recently, Daylight District appeared in Orlando Weekly's "Best Of" issue among the top hip hop groups, and earned the title "Best Emo/Hip Hop Act" in Tampa's Creative Loafing Magazine. 2010 will see a new release from DD in the form of a two song 7" record featuring the new single "Jabberjaw." Also, the band will host it's 5th Annual DDBBQ. A free all-ages performance for fans and friends. More details soon!
from CREATIVE LOAFING's "BEST OF THE BAY"
"It’s rare to find a live band that melds hip-hop, emo, funk and punk as effortlessly as the Bradenton/Orlando quartet Daylight District. Leading the charge is charismatic lead singer/rapper/keyboardist Frank Friend, who alternates between candid confessionals and party starters, both of which work equally well. This year marked the release of Daylight District’s outstanding full-length, Beautiful, Historic."
Reviews of "Beautiful, Historic: 2008"
"Orlando/Bradenton quartet Daylight District's full-length Beautiful, Historic melds funk, punk, emo and hip-hop in a highly distinctive manner. Keyboardist/vocalist and chief songwriter Frank Friend alternates between melodic rapping and singing. The lyrics largely focus on personal struggles -- but there are also a couple odes to partying. Tim Heller's bass lines, Aaron O Tobin's drumming and Paul Solorzano's guitar work flesh out Friend's eclectic musings and keyboard foundations. One of the disc's finest numbers, "Are We There Yet?," finds Friend playing acoustic guitar and rapping over a melody that climaxes into a gripping mash-up of indie-rock and funk."
–Wade Tatangelo (Creative Loafing, Tampa)
"…eclectic bass styles, skronk jazz guitar, and change-em-up beats come together easily throughout, whether the vocals are rapped or sung, they provide a foundation that's both interesting and consistently, reliably melodic. The best tunes are still the ones with more mellifluous vocal passages, like "Snapshot," "7am," and "Sad Situation," but even those who hate the whole indie-kid rap thing have to respect the originality and musical prowess displayed here, and folks who are into stuff like the Anticon set would do well to scarf it up"
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