Forget deep dish and those hot dogs with fluorescent relish, Chicago’s real export is honest-to-goodness indie bands. Friko, the scrappy, young Midwest indie rock outfit, is one such group.
Who the freak are Friko?
Friko emerged out of Chicago’s DIY “Hallogallo” scene — alongside bands like Horsegirl and Lifeguard. Just downwind of Lake Michigan, the trio of Niko Kapetan, Bailey Minzenberger and former member Luke Stamos channeled their suburban, early 20s angst into two sets of recordings: 2019’s Burntout Beautiful (Demos) (under the name "Thee Marquees," sans Minzenberger) and their much tighter 2022 EP, Whenever Forever. Live shows and basement sessions helped the band develop a uniquely gritty and adventurous approach to indie rock that scratches the grunge itch for a new generation.
The trio’s growth and sharp songwriting shone on the band’s 2024 debut album Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here, which landed Friko on “best of” lists with Paste and Pitchfork, as well as former NPR Tiny Desk creator Bob Boilen, who considered its winding title track his #1 song of the year.
After Stamos’ departure, Friko went from a three-piece down to a duo, eventually adding David Fuller and Korgan Robb to its ranks. Fuller and Robb joined as bassist and guitarist, respectively, although such titles mean little to a group of four band-hopping multi-instrumentalists.
“Everybody in the band plays a little of most things,” says Kapetan, “because none of us are tied to our instrument and like being the best at our instruments and proving that on recordings. We all just like songs.”
Where We’ve Been
Like Minzenberger and Stamos, Kapetan grew up in Evanston, IL, just a train ride away from Chicago and its trove of indie treasures.
Maybe it’s endemic to a band formed in one’s twenties, but a major theme of Friko’s music, down to its song and album titles, is an obsession with time. From wishing life would hurry up to worrying about its fleeting nature, cognitive dissonance is where the band thrives.
Their true debut, 2022’s 5-song EP Whenever Forever, spoke about love with the maturity of a group that knows life is quite long.
They continue their fixation with time throughout their debut album Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here. That fixation is exemplified by the frantic warbling of track three, “Crashing Through" (“I haven’t said what I mean to say / I haven’t done what I mean to do”) and elsewhere on "Crimson To Chrome," which immediately hooks you with a gasp of breath followed by: "We're either too old, too bold, or stupid to move, I guess we're / Caught on the wrong side of the shoe again."
Another standout from the record is their rocking single, “Get Numb To It!,” which is a song about keeping your head down and barreling forward. That particular song found an unexpected fanbase in Japanese “salarymen,” whose steely, hyper-productive work selves came to appreciate the message of “Get Numb To It!.” Friko met their Japanese fans face-to-face in 2024, performing at Fuji Rock Festival, the same Saturday as SZA, Teddy Swims and DJ Peggy Gou.
Even if you haven’t heard the album, it’s likely you’ve seen its cover: an embroidered locket of a red bird on a burnt maroon backdrop. That bird — a cardinal — also lent its name to the album’s somber final track.
“I feel like it was the type of thing that I never realized it,” says Kapetan. “But, growing up, it's the state bird in Illinois, it’s the state bird in a lot of states — which we figured out later. It's just ... it was always around. And I wrote that song "Cardinal," and it kind of was switching between the meaning of a religious cardinal, and like an actual flying cardinal. It just made sense. And our color for the band was always maroon, even before that. It was just the color that we associated with the band.”
“The joy of doing everything”
As lead vocalist, guitarist and the sun around which Friko revolves, Kapetan is at the center of it all. His tenor reaches dreamy heights (see "Cardinal") and grips the soul, such as with his melancholic crackling on the hushed track, “For Ella.”
Kapetan’s rhythm section counterpart Minzenberger is the drummer, and they can often be seen singing choruses from just over Kapetan’s shoulder.
“For Bailey, I feel like, what they like to do is just a little bit of everything," says Kapetan. "That's the beauty of it, and that's why it works here, because I love singing and doing that up front and Bailey just can do a little bit of everything. And it's beautiful.”
Before Friko’s set at xBk, Minzenberger joined openers Youbet, an NYC indie trio, on shaker and vocals for a song. Being busy is part of Minzenberger’s nature, who is principally involved with three other bands in addition to Friko: Morinda, Hemlock and Free Range, whose recent 2025 album Lost & Found was another stunning indie debut. What some might consider being overextended, Minzenberger calls the joy of doing everything: “I feel like with balancing stuff, I honestly kind of live inside of my calendar. Any time something pops up, I’ll just throw it in, even if its not official yet. It’s just a lot of communication. Also just the fact that I love all of the projects so much, I want to make time for everything.”
New music + new tour
As new members, neither Fuller nor Robb were involved in the songwriting on Friko’s 2024 debut. But they’ll surely have a hand in what’s to come.
To the delight of many Friko fans, Kapetan confirmed that new music is currently soon to be recorded. One unreleased track they’ve been noodling with on the road, “Hot Air Balloon,” is based on a transcendent, real-life experience.
While on tour in Albuquerque, NM, the band shacked up in their van for some shut-eye under the protective lights and cameras of a Cracker Barrel parking lot. Early the next morning, once Kapetan yawned and rubbed the crust out of his eyes, he was greeted by an unreal sight.
“Unknowingly, [it] was a hot air balloon fest,” says Kapetan about their fortuitous pit stop, likely stumbling upon the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®, “I woke up at 6 a.m. and there were just like, all the hot air balloons going up. Hundreds, it was insane. And it was one of the most beautiful things. I'm not the type that sees something and is like, it’s time to write a song about that. But that was one of the few times I was like, that is beautiful.”
In addition to “Hot Air Balloon,” Kapetan opened up about another new song, “Dirty Diamond,” which represents a shift in the way he brings music to the group for collaboration.
“That one, I kind of only had a base idea of it and then we wrote it from there,” says Kapetan. “We’re really excited to record that one … we want to make it not a rock opera, but a rock epic, in the way where it's got twists and turns and ups and downs. It's gonna be very fun, and we're gonna figure out a lot about the new songs too in the studio when we record them.”
In addition to some long-overdue studio sessions, the band is looking forward to hitting the road again soon, trading opening slots with fellow Chicago band Dehd on an upcoming, pinch-me-it’s-not-real tour.
“For us, in August, when we're playing with Modest Mouse and The Flaming Lips, like, that is such a huge milestone,” says Kapetan. “Playing with two bands that are just like two favorite bands of all time. Bands that shaped how I wrote and listened to music — that is gonna suffice me for a little while.”
Friko’s stock in the indie-stry is high as can be. Their debut album sent waves “crashing through” the Midwest rock scene, and the band's recently released Expanded Edition doubles the dosage.
