New Friends: Waste My Time
Catchy hooks, strong vocal harmonies, and top-notch production make this a contender.
By Kerry Doole
New Friends- Waste My Time (Slaight Music/Hidden Pony): Released last week, this is the second single taken from this Canadian alt-pop band's EP, Doomed.
The cut sports catchy hooks, insistent keyboards, strong vocal harmonies and top-notch production by Steve Molella (Stuck On Planet Earth, Kayla Diamond), and the result is highly radio-friendly.
The track was co-written by New Friends vocalist Stefan Serge along with Boulineau, Steve Mollela, Keandra Shan Lal, and Alexandra Nora Soumalias. The band shared on social media that "this was another song that fell out of the sky at an incredible writing camp last spring with Steve Molella, who we’ve had way too much fun shaping the Camaro era with Ally Sou & Kiki Rowe also co-wrote this one and we’re so excited to finally be able to share it with the world.”
In a press release, New Friends describes the song this way: "A toxic relationship is at the forefront of Waste My Time. It's about knowing very well that a dynamic has shifted from being healthy and fun to abusive and devastating. We took inspiration from the euphoric and sometimes mind-numbing effects that love, whether toxic or healthy, has on someone's day-to-day life. 'Eat up every word you say, my perception dilates.' This line truly depicts the exhaustion in the relationship. Whether true or false, you will still sit there and genuinely value the other person's opinion more than your own because that is how deep love can go."
New Friends comprises Stefan Boulineau (vocals), Ayden Miller (keyboard), Cole Wilson (guitar) and Conrad Galecki (bass/drums), and the group formed while they were students of the Music Industry Arts program at Fanshawe College in London, ON. Back in Dec. 2021, New Friends won Slaight Music's It’s Your Shot 2021, Canada’s premiere songwriting and artist development competition. Their grand prize, valued at over $100,000, included recording, distribution, radio promotion, publicity, and marketing support via 2021 label partner Hidden Pony Records.
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