Boston collective Friendly People finds a way to shuffle itself into various crowds and groups of listeners while simultaneously dodging the status quo of many other local acts. You won’t find them playing basements every weekend or inciting mosh pits, while at the same time, they aren’t the band hiding in the corner, or keeping their artistry a secret. They find a comfortable medium– an energetic and inspired chip off the folk music block, that explodes in the live setting and captivates on record. Front man Pat McCusker is a rare kind, setting the pace with poignant lyricism, only to crescendo into a Jim James-esque release in many of the band’s jammier numbers.
This style is exemplified well in, “A Lot of Work To Do,” the seventh track off of the band’s debut album, “Shake,” for which they have just released a new live video. The slow burning acoustic tune was captured in this live take while the band was writing and recording in Pennsylvania, shortly before their appearance at this year’s SXSW festival. It’s a testament to the intensity that the band can encompass, even when there’s no audience before them.
While hard at work on a new release, Friendly People has shows coming up this month. The band will play Cameo Gallery in New York on May 15, and then return to Boston on the 16th to play TT’s with Conveyor, Skinny Bones, and Hap.