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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<b><span style="font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Friends</span></b><b><span style="font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""> unveil video for their new single “Mind Control” worldwide TODAY<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<span style="font-size:22.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Off Forthcoming Album,
<i>Manifest!</i>, Out June 5 via Fat Possum<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<b><u><span style="font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Plus, North American Tour Dates Announced!<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><img width="379" height="253" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01CD3288.6E611690" alt="Friends_general2_Erez Avissar"></span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Photo credit: Erez Avissar<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Friends</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""> unveiled the video for their new single “Mind Control” yesterday
on the Noisey YouTube channel, and today via outlets worldwide. Shot by <b>Hiro Murai</b> (St. Vincent, Scissor Sisters, Usher), the clip combines band performance, action footage, and special effects, in a rhythmic montage cut to the
<b>Paul Epworth</b> mixed track. The band pays reverent homage to dystopian Sci-Fi films from the ‘80s (<i>They Live</i>,
<i>Brainstorm</i>, <i>Scanners</i>). The members take themselves less seriously in various roles in an apparently sinister brainwashing plot, evocative of the song’s over-the-top lyrical message (“Hold holy only what you want/Mind control everywhere/Is trying
to keep your brain washed”). <b>Check out the video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I90FkC6BMbw">
HERE</a>!<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">“Mind Control” is guaranteed to be unlike anything else you’ll watch this year. It’s
<b>Friends’</b> most ambitious video to date, following the lower-budget viral sensations for
<b>“Friend Crush”</b> and <b>“I’m His Girl.”</b> All three singles appear on the debut album
<b><i>Manifest!</i>, </b>out June 5<sup>th</sup> on <b>Fat Possum </b>– and available now to pre-order
<b><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/preorder/manifest!/id525638426">HERE</a></b>. Track listing is below.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">The anthemic “Mind Control” sums up the seditious streak of
<b><i>Manifest!</i></b> The musical choices are brazen even by <b>Friends’</b> standards: superfly bass, slinky synth, crybaby wah, bongo solo, group chants. Lyrically, it also might be the
<b>Friends</b> manifesto, were it not for the strong possibility that Ms. Urbani is taking the piss – poking good-natured fun at her band’s indie image and at our collective indie standards.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">“I don’t want to rule or be ruled/I just want the right to be cool/However I chose to do what I do/Wherever I choose to be or with whom/Hey, I don’t need your money, I can
grow my own food/I don’t need your beauty standard, I can be my own dude.” <o:p>
</o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Friends</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""> will follow their largest-ever headline gig – a sold out show at London’s Scala – and their
biggest European festival appearances to date, with their first ever North American headlining tour. Tickets are on sale now – full tour routing is below.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Tracklisting<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left:27.0pt;text-indent:-27.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">1.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Friend Crush<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:27.0pt;text-indent:-27.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">2.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Sorry<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:27.0pt;text-indent:-27.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">3.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Home<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:27.0pt;text-indent:-27.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">4.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">A Thing Like This<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:27.0pt;text-indent:-27.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">5.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">A Light<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:27.0pt;text-indent:-27.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">6.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Ideas On Ghosts<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:27.0pt;text-indent:-27.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">7.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Ruins<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:27.0pt;text-indent:-27.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">8.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">I’m His Girl<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:27.0pt;text-indent:-27.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">9.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Proud/Ashamed<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:27.0pt;text-indent:-27.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">10.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Stay Dreaming<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:27.0pt;text-indent:-27.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">11.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Va Fan Gor Du<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left:27.0pt;text-indent:-27.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">12.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Mind Control<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:13.5pt;text-indent:-13.5pt"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">North American Tour Dates<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">June 13 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">June 14 Montreal, QC Lambi’s<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">June 15 Toronto, ON Lee’s Palace<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">June 16 Chicago, IL Schuba’s Tavern<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">June 17 Minneapolis, MN 7<sup>th</sup> Street Entry<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">June 20 Seattle, WA Crocodile Café<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">June 22 Vancouver, BC Fortune<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">June 23 Portland, OR Doug Fir<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">June 25 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">June 26 Los Angeles, CA Echo<a name="_GoBack"><o:p></o:p></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">June 29 San Diego, CA The Casbah<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">June 30 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">July 2 Austin, TX Mohawk<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">July 3 Houston, TX Fitzgerald’s Upstairs<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">July 5 Atlanta, GA The Earl<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">July 6 Washington, DC Rock N’ Roll Hotel<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">July 7 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><a href="http://www.afriendszone.com/"><span style="color:#0B36A2">www.afriendszone.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><a href="http://www.facebook.com/sdneirfbackwards"><span style="color:#0B36A2">www.facebook.com/sdneirfbackwards</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><a href="http://www.twitter.com/afriendszone"><span style="color:#0B36A2">www.twitter.com/afriendszone</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">For more information on Friends, please contact:</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">PRESS HERE</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Chloe Walsh // Jamie Sherman</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><a href="mailto:chloe@pressherepublicity.com"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"">chloe@pressherepublicity.com</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">
// <a href="mailto:jamie@pressherepublicity.com">jamie@pressherepublicity.com</a></span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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