A Guide to Los Angeles with Frenship in Los Angeles, California
When Brett Hite and James Sunderland were folding yoga pants at a Lululemon store they never imagined they’d one day be doing anything as cool as touring with Bastille and playing festivals like Lollapalooza. But they slowly went from coworkers to band mates, started collaborating on songs and broke through the music scene with their 2016 hit song “Capsize” (featuring the beautiful vocals of Emily Warren). The song currently has nearly 400 million streams on Spotify. Read on to find out why this indie pop duo likes rainy days in Los Angeles and finding snobby coffee shops in new cities.
What is the best thing about Los Angeles?
Brett: The opportunities it has.
What is the worst?
James: Not a ton of nature. Lots of concrete around here.
What is a perfect day in Los Angeles?
Brett: A rainy holiday when there is no traffic.
What’s your favorite way to interact with fans, before, during and after the show?
James: Honestly just talk to them during the show and thank them for coming. We try to make it feel inclusive as much as possible and try to come out and say hi after every show.
Via @wearefrenship
If you could tour with any band/artist from any time in history, who would it be?
Brett: U2
What has been the most surreal moment in your career so far?
James: Playing Red Rocks was a big moment for me. I grew up about 10 minutes down the road so it was a very cool hometown show.
What’s it like being a band in Los Angeles?
Brett and James: Hectic and FUN.
What has surprised you the most about touring?
James: How quickly I can lose my voice. Apparently, I like to yell and be loud a lot. Learned I need to shut my mouth after shows.
Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Brett: We usually do some kind of stupid cheer to keep the mood silly before we hit the stage.
Via @wearefrenship
How do you get oriented in a new city?
James: Google Image search the best coffee shops in town. If one has some reclaimed wood and an industrial feel, we go check it out. Snobby coffee is a good way to orient yourself.
What does the band like to do for fun while on the road?
Brett: We try to squeeze in workouts and see the cities we go to. It’s such a cool thing that we get to see the world by way of doing what we love, so we really try to take advantage of that when we can.
Which bands/artists are you listening to these days?
James: Sting, Phil Collins, John Mayer, Kendrick Lamar, Sigrid, Gordi and our stuff (we’re working on an album so a lot of time goes into listening to our new songs).
Los Angeles photo by Jonpaul Douglass.
Name:Frenship
City:Los Angeles
Favorite place to eat?
Brett: GTA is a big go-to for us in Venice. We’re based in Silver Lake though, so we only get there sparingly.
Favorite place to drink?
James: Wurstkuche or anywhere outside. Beer garden style.
If someone was visiting, what must they do?
James: EAT, go to the beach, plan where to eat next, eat again, go on some hikes in Malibu, eat some more, then ice cream at Milk in Silver Lake.