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Following a whirlwind 2023, which featured the release of debut album Piggy, a headline tour, and a live EP, Peter McPoland’s 2024 has been a bit more relaxed, but just barely. The 24-year-old hit the road in April, November, and December on headline tours, and in October opened for Imagine Dragons on their 'Loom World Tour.' McPoland also released four new singles throughout the year, all of which have found their way onto the tracklist of his latest EP, Friend.

Friend moves away from the grit and anger found in Piggy and feels reminiscent of McPoland’s earlier music but with a more mature and elevated sound. McPoland’s growth as an artist shines through the familiar indie sound that first drew fans in. The rising star released the first single off the EP, “Speed of the Sound (of you),” in April. As with many of McPoland’s songs, “Speed of the Sound (of you)” would not be out of place on the soundtrack of a coming-of-age movie. The lyrics focus on love, with McPoland singing, “I'm a slut in love with the speed of sound / It's crushing in my brain / Yeah it's crushing in my brain” and “The only thing I need / Is the speed of the sound of you” before rounding out the song with the lyrics “And I could cry / I love the sound.” The cheerful lyrics are accompanied by a bright and clean sound that can be found throughout every corner of Friend.

While sonically bright, Friend is still full of the raw emotion and evocative lyrics that McPoland is known for. “Whirlpool,” one of the three new songs on the EP, features stunningly visual lyrics. In the first verse, McPoland sings “Let me circle down the drain / Whirlpool baby, big, big day” and “Big bright sun come gobble me / Burn alive, silently scream.” The EP’s final song, “Mama, the Big Star.” is also brimming with visuals as McPoland describes the titular big star as “fading away,” “coming loose,” and “blowing up”. 

Along with the release of the EP, McPoland dropped music videos for “Whirlpool” and for the EP’s opening track “Gruhguhguh.” The “Whirlpool” music video features McPoland dressed as a vampire on his 942nd birthday. The video is dark and moody, and in its final moments, vampire Peter takes a wooden stake from the ground and drives it through his heart. In contrast, the “Gruhguhguh” music video is full of bright sunshine, a big blue sky, and shots of McPoland having the time of his life messing around on a drum kit.

Speaking on the EP, McPoland kept his thoughts concise. On an Instagram post announcing the upcoming project, he wrote “i really love these songs i think they fuck.”

McPoland may be back but he’s no longer a teenager making music alone in his bedroom; he’s now a full-fledged artist continuing to make his mark in the indie-pop world and beyond.

Listen to Friend below: