How to make friends - "Around the Block"

How to make friends are back with Around the Block, the second single from their upcoming debut EP, and as with Divine, their previous single, it combines upbeat danceability with laconic vocals and a little touch of world-weariness.

Following on from Divine earlier this year, the Berlin five-piece keep the same self-recorded, DIY-leaning sound but push it a bit rockier this time round, mixing this with major 7 chords to back up the sense of unavoidable emptiness. The twin guitars from Ben and Andrej do most of the heavy lifting, Henni's busily grooving bass and Cornelius's skittering but straight ahead drumbeat keeps things grounded, and Lily's vocal remains languorously conversational even when the song picks up pace. A melodic indie-rock foundation gives way to a playful, jazz-influenced bridge, adding a slightly unexpected turn to an otherwise hook-driven arrangement.

being mansplained to at 3am in a Berlin flat when you're just back from a club night out

The track explores aging and embracing the reduced anxiety that comes with being just a little more jaded. After one too many mansplaining sessions, the death of millennial optimism and the absolute shambles of the current state of the world, the indie-rock leaning track finds freedom in being too tired to care. 

Self-recorded and self-produced, the single continues How to make friends’ exploration of melancholic storytelling and catchy melodies, rooted in the band’s dreamy, understated indie-pop sound. 

“Once was nervous, now I’m tired. Intimidated, now I’m bored” sums it up nicely - not angry, just done, and finally better off for it.

While nothing here reinvents the wheel, it doesn't need to. Around the Block is a solid, catchy single with trademark laconic vocals, that does what it sets out to do - and bodes well for the EP it's building towards.

pairing catchy melodies with melancholic and wry observations on modern life

How To Make Friends are currently working towards the release of their debut EP, due in late 2026/early 2027. The EP campaign began with Divine, followed by Around the Block, with several more tracks to follow. Across the release, the band continues to explore the space between dreamy indie pop, bedroom pop and slightly more guitar-driven indie rock, pairing catchy melodies with melancholic and wry observations on modern life.

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