Sometimes we need a little weekend happiness infused into our everyday schedules. Weekend Friend founder and lead singer, Bryan Wynne, shares the inspiration and passion behind their music.
How did Weekend Friend get started?
I’ve been passionate about music since I was very young. I started Weekend Friend as a solo act, but having a band was a childhood dream. So, when my buddies in Kid Pastel contacted me about opening for them, I reached out to our drummer Tyler Whiting, who I knew through a mutual friend. Tyler is childhood friends with our bassist Tristan Galuppo and they’ve been making music together for a while. They met in middle school when Tristan handed Tyler a note about starting a band – true story! Our guitarist Arnold Martinez had been jamming his whole life and when I mentioned something on Instagram about needing a guitarist, a good friend was quick to send me his info. From there it’s history. We’re more like brothers than friends now.
How did you choose the band’s name?
I wanted to create a name that people could relate to and understand. Most everyone gets working the classic 9-to-5 lifestyle and waiting on the weekend to get some personal time, whether it’s partying with friends or sitting back and relaxing. The idea is being able to plug in, listen to our music, and feel like it's the weekend any time. With that comes great energy.
What is your main genre of music?
I’d say we’re mostly Indy Rock/Alternative. Tyler, Tristan, Arnold, and I have all grown up on different music, so we have a pretty broad range and like incorporating a lot of those different tastes into our newer music. We have a lot of inspiration from some of our favorite bands such as Cage the Elephant, The Strokes, and The Killers. We all make music because we truly love it and I’m really blessed to be with a such a great group of guys.
What do you love about making music?
It's really powerful that people born at different times and locations and who have so many different experiences can connect through the music we make. It's cool that we have an opportunity to make music based off how we're feeling, and other people can hear that and relate to it. I like sharing the feeling of positivity and having a connection with people we might not even know. If you're two years old or sixty, you’ll find no bad feelings or negative things in our music. It’s just like having a weekend friend.
What is your favorite part about performing live?
It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, the second we start playing music and see everyone connecting and having fun, it’s powerful. We’ve been super blessed to have great friends, family, and fans who come out to support us. The coolest thing is that everyone gets a little nervous before we go on stage, but once we start playing and see and feel the energy and the happy people in the crowd, it's a pretty surreal feeling. It's nothing I've ever felt before until getting on stage. The crowd is there to have fun and we're there to have fun. We love it and we never want to take any of it for granted.
Do you have any pre-show or post-show rituals?
Pre-show usually takes place at my house or Tristan’s house depending on where we play. It consists of running through our set then having a meal while we talk about plans for the future and just purely enjoying the show. We all do it because we love it, so we focus on that and having a good time!
If you could open a show for any artist, who would it be and why?
I would love for us to open for Cage the Elephant. They have so many amazing songs and I could see us meshing with them really well. A lot of our music incorporates many different sounds and styles, which is something we love about Cage the Elephant. They make great music that always sounds fresh and timeless.
What would you love our readers to know?
We are so thankful for the love we get in the Carolinas. We’re thankful to have such great support. We are working on an album to be released this summer and we are ecstatic for our show with Deaf Andrews at the Visulite on June 7th. Tickets will be available soon and we’d love nothing more than to have a great night in the city of Charlotte with everyone who comes out. It’s going to be a show you don’t want to miss!
Music by Weekend Friend can be found on all major music streaming services. Stay up to date on performances and new releases by following @weekendfriendmusic on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X (Twitter).
