Pop Mutations presents:
The Umbrellas
+ Special Guests
Saturday 9th March 2024
Mono

Advance tickets available at citizenticket.com/events/pop-mutations

The Umbrellas are four renegade romantics crafting irresistible indie pop hymns. The band’s self-titled
2021 debut album became a breakout moment, winning critical praise and sparking an international tour.
Follow-up LP ‘Fairweather Friend’ goes a step further – absorbing the sonic attack of their live shows, it
balances this with studio finesse, allowing the San Francisco four-piece to become the band they’ve
always aspired to be.
It’s a record overflowing with highlights. The candyfloss melodies of introductory track ‘Three Cheers!’ are
matched to an impactful percussive punch; ‘Say What You Mean’ finds The Umbrellas working with total
confidence, letting the song ride out to its chiming conclusion, four voices working in precision. ‘When
You Find Out’ offers rotating notes of guitar punctuated by a vocal that pushes past angst to accept a
world full of hope. A lean 10 track affair, it grasps towards beatific pop while fuelled by a sense of risk, and
the precision that comes from long months on the road.
The Umbrellas coalesced around a group of musicians who would frequent legendary San Francisco
record emporium Amoeba Music. Singer and guitarist Matt Ferrera links with bassist Nick Oka, while Keith
Frerichs is the powerhouse drummer. A chance encounter with Morgan Stanley singing karaoke at a
Fourth of July party cemented the line-up around an avowed thirst for melody. “All of us love really
earnest pop songs,”
Nick points out. “I guess we got to a point in our lives where we wanted to be genuine.” Playing shows at
San Francisco’s vital DIY redoubt Hit Gallery, The Umbrellas would share line-ups with local heroes such as
April Magazine and Cindy. Recording their debut album across a two-day spell at Matt’s parents’ house,
the results won a devoted cult following. Yet the experience of touring bonded them tightly and allowed
the volume to tick up a little higher, and higher, and higher. “I think we got tired of people saying, oh
you’re so much louder than I thought you’d be!” laughs Matt. “Our early recordings are sweet and
earnest... and we wanted it to be louder.”
Kicking off sessions in November 2022, the band used an ad hoc space Matt created in his basement,
working across a four-month period. Sessions were a little more relaxed in terms of timescale than their
debut, but The Umbrellas were incredibly focussed on the project. “We gave ourselves more space for this
album,” says Keith. “We wanted time to sit on the songs, and really work on them.”

Allowing their live dynamic to bleed out on tape, The Umbrellas are at once more physical and yet also
more controlled on their new album. Take opening track ‘Three Cheers!’ – the peppy, sun-soaked rush
masks a barbed lyric, courtesy of Nick Oka. “It’s a pseudo-political song about power struggles that occur
in a job situation, or a friend group. It’s an observational song.”
‘Toe The Line’ has an unkempt, rollicking sense of energy, the playful relationship analogy of the lyric
pushed to the speed of light by Keith’s ultra-fast punk drumming. ‘When You Find Out’ meanwhile
epitomises their unified, egalitarian way of making music – with The Umbrellas, each voice counts. “It
sounds different from any song we’ve ever written together,” says Morgan. “It shows how much we’ve
grown. Trust helps us to build the songs. It’s definitely a team effort.”
It’s also a record of ambition. ‘Say What You Mean’ stretches past the four-minute mark, the viola
performance informed by Estonian minimalist composer Arvo Pärt. ‘Gone’ was the first song attempted
for the new album, and the last they actually finished, endless re-writes transforming it into a manifesto
of control and release.
Taken as a whole ‘Fairweather Friend’ is a bold indie pop triumph, crafted with purpose and attention.
Taking their time over each note, the four-piece have strengthened their songwriting, adding depth and
assurance while unlocking their potential. Some bonds last a lifetime – The Umbrellas are ready to
capture your heart.