Teenage nostalgia meets the age of the internet: BETWEEN FRIENDS talks their new album, aesthetic and the importance of fun in music

BETWEEN FRIENDS believes in the art of fun. The duo makes music that’s electric, eclectic and energetic, paired with the funky tumblr-esque bedroom aesthetic that is wildly reminiscent of teenage nostalgia. Listening to BETWEEN FRIEND’s discography is like driving through your college town at 2 a.m. to meet your best friends at a late-night diner after a party for midnight breakfast. It’s glitter-smeared faces, kissing your crush and chaotic car-karaoke sessions wrapped up into catchy lyricism and glitchy internet magic. 

PHOTOS BY EMILY ENTZ

Born and raised in Miami and currently stationed in Los Angeles, BETWEEN FRIENDS siblings Savannah and Brandon Hudson grew up inspired by one another to write and create music. The duo started writing songs as kids, influenced by artists such as Sky Ferreira and Crystal Castles. 

“I think that our whole careers, we’ve sort of worked together as a unit, and we’ve had a very sort of concise, clear, collective vision of what it was we wanted to do,” Brandon told Pleaser in an exclusive BETWEEN FRIENDS interview. “And when we started BETWEEN FRIENDS right before the pandemic, it was just this natural thing we were doing, honestly, for fun. We didn’t really have any intentions with it other than to create an outlet that could kind of facilitate all of our creativity.”

When their first EP we just need some time together dropped, BETWEEN FRIENDS utilized the internet as a way to connect with their listeners when the pandemic hit in 2020. The duo makes music for the internet age, and at a time where people needed connection the most, BETWEEN FRIENDS made the best of a bad deal by continuing to adapt to the world’s revolving door of obstacles. 

During the pandemic, the alternative dream-pop hit affection rapidly rised on the charts, reaching about 600 million streams on music platforms. BETWEEN FRIENDS used their sudden internet success to continue to connect with their fans virtually, which made the transition from bedroom live shows to assimilating back into the real world even more exciting, as they were able to finally see rooms full of people who had been listening to their music during the time of the pandemic. 

“I think that we were kind of trapped inside and watched that song snowball and connect with kids online,” Brandon said. “And obviously, that can be stifling during a time when you can’t do anything because we wanted to reach these people in real life, but we didn’t have the opportunity to. So once the pandemic ended, there was this influx of new people that were staying tuned to what we were doing. We announced our first tour shortly after that all ended, and then we got to actually go see who all of these kids on our phones were in real life, which was really really awesome.”

Once the walls broke down between BETWEEN FRIENDS and their fanbase, it was like a whole new world had just emerged for the duo. During their first show in Washington, the power went out during their set. With no lights, power or technology, Brandon and Savannah took a leap of faith and went out into the audience to sing with their fans, and it was a shock to the duo when the crowd knew all of the lyrics to the music they’d only released just a month before. 

“As an artist, people showing up and knowing the lyrics to your songs is kind of like, one of the best accomplishments you can have,” Savannah told Pleaser. “We do everything ourselves. We write, produce, we do it all. So to come out onto a stage and have an audience of people who resonate with our lyrics and our music, it’s the biggest and best moment you can have.”  

Since the release of their first EP, BETWEEN FRIENDS has only continued to expand into the glitch-pop icons they are today. Playing sold out tours and massive crowds at music festivals such as Governors Ball in 2022, BETWEEN FRIENDS’ fans cultivate the eccentrically styled, high energy atmosphere that’s present at a show. Fans come dressed in anything from upcycled Subway Streetwear to astronaut suits to rave wear, which only adds to the lively spirit of the duo’s live performances. 

“The creativity is amazing. Our fans are the best, and I’m excited to see how they adapt to this music,” Savannah said. “It’s like they sort of mold themselves to fit into our aesthetics, and it's really inspiring for us, and pushes us to want to do more.”

From their earliest releases in 2018 to their latest singles “American Bitch”, “DJ” and “1234567,” BETWEEN FRIENDS continues to grow and evolve in the most exciting of ways. Their latest album WOW! releasing August 1 is a testimony to their alternative-pop sound while also expanding both lyrically and sonically. It’s hard to listen to these singles without involuntarily dancing along to the electrically hypnotic beats flowing through these first few singles. 

Listening to DJ feels like the opening scene of a coming of age film, walking into a house party with a brand new sequin mini dress or dancing during the peak hours of your favorite night club. Fierce beats intertwined with repetitive lyrics like “DJ what’s the drama / I’ve been waiting for my song to come on / It’s all I’ve ever wanted and that’s all I have to say / Hey!” creates space for fun throughout the song. 

American Bitch, like the other two singles off of WOW!, is any pop-lover’s new go-to anthem. Like many other BETWEEN FRIENDS songs, this one started with a beat in the studio and a few lyrical mumbles. After spending a day at the studio trying to figure out what they wanted to write about lyrically, Savannah and Brandon went home and reconvened over a glass of wine. 

“We love that song. I remember when we were working on the song, we were all so attached to this mumble vocal. We were in with some of our collaborators, and we had written the lyrics,” Brandon said. “Basically, we were told to go home and retrack the vocals. I remember, it felt sort of gritted the entire time trying to redo it. And then we both just poured ourselves a glass of wine, relaxed and started to have fun doing it. It immediately felt like what we were missing the whole time. So there’s this, like, embedded casualty in all of it that I think makes it feel super special.”

Through both the creation of the music and the performances, BETWEEN FRIENDS’ goal is to become the music they create. Although vibes have changed throughout their years of creating music, the duo’s core goals remain the same– to create music that resonates with fans, and to invite listeners into their world of fun. 

“I hope the album can speak for itself. I’m excited for it to come out, and to see what people think,” Savannah said. “I think we’re forever living in the BETWEEN FRIENDS world, but also ever changing and growing up.”