Despite the upbeat tones and beachy vibes of his new EP Blue, Famous Friend’s Zachariah Carlson brings a sense of somberness to his “Neighborhoods” session, as it was a bit of a harrowing experience returning to the area he grew up in in the aftermath of the LA wildfires earlier this year. Filmed while perched atop an inactive lifeguard tower at Will Rogers State Beach, Carlson manages to channel the autobiography of the two songs he performs through a new lens, as his parents and close friends are still displaced from the area. “My EP Blue pulls from those roots, kaleidoscopic images of life past and present in Los Angeles,” he explains. “‘Carmen San Diego’ recalls Marquez Elementary, which burned in the fires.”
Yet it’s two different tracks from the EP that he opted to play for us on this warm, sunny day. “I chose two songs to perform: ‘Blue’ is the only antidote I know, jumping in the water with people you love. Moving from mind to body to nature. ‘Bunny Ears’ is about struggling with memory and mortality, and the strange peace that comes when you stop fighting either. A mourning dove flew down outside my window with a message: It’s alright. Singing these songs on a closed-down lifeguard tower, with the burnt hillside and National Guard behind me, felt like a tether—between innocence and devastation, childhood and whatever comes after.”
Check out the heavy performance below. As for the “whatever comes after,” Famous Friend will be dropping a collaborative single with .com tomorrow, followed by a June 14 set at The Smell. Pre-save “Tell Me About Your Last Breakup” here, and grab tickets to the show here.
