NONEWFRIENDS. EP Release Show, with Lauren Juzang
By Shelby Rodger
Photos by Shelby Rodger
Gin and tonics flowed and people flooded into Funk n’ Waffles. Disco lights danced, reflecting a groovy mood. Last Saturday night, local Syracuse group NONEWFRIENDS. performed downtown to a sold-out audience.
The concert—featuring opener Lauren Juzang—celebrated the band’s debut EP “Do You Still Think About Me?” released on Jan. 28.
Known for their upbeat jazz-funk sound and saxophone solos that will knock you off your feet, NONEWFRIENDS. consists of five Syracuse University students—lead singer Liz Stuart, guitarist and saxophonist Jackson August, guitarist Peter Groppe, keyboardist Scott Greenblatt, and bassist Jack Harrington. Greenblatt’s high school friend Chris Cummings also plays drums for the band. Although they’ve been making music together since 2019, the band has blown up this year on the SU campus. Stuart and August said they were excited to be diving into the spring semester in such a big way with friends in the crowd from both Syracuse and New York City.
19-year-old solo artist Lauren Juzang—also a student at SU—kicked off the night with her alluringly raw sound, reminiscent of artists like Phoebe Bridgers and Daughter. Originally from Los Angeles, she began her set with her song “Lost Echoes,” the first off her debut EP “HAHAHHAHA” released in 2021. Her song “Got It Good” has a beachy-pop sound that could be a call to her California roots. She charmed the crowd with a stripped-down rendition of Katy Perry’s hit song “The One That Got Away,” switching out its classic pop sound for alternative rock. Juzang concluded her set with an unreleased song she finished only two hours before the show titled “Still.” With a lovely voice and lyrics that are mature beyond her age, Juzang is one local artist to keep on your radar.
NONEWFRIENDS. started their set with some crowd participation as Stuart had the audience sing along to a simple melody, her confident presence behind the mic captivating the room. Their song “Borderlines'' featured a sultry yet electrifying sax solo from August before transitioning to a striking guitar solo from Groppe. Halfway through their set, the band brought out guest artist Yoshi T.—featured on their new song “Not Your Girl''—who has been a friend of August’s since middle school.
“He drove all the way here in a snowstorm from the Upper East Side!” August yelled into the mic while introducing him. The band and the New York-based rapper then performed a jazzy cover of Frank Ocean’s “Super Rich Kids” and the energy in the crowd was contagious, with almost everyone waving their hands and shouting out the popular lyrics.
The band slowed things down with their song “Nobody”—the most emotionally bearing of the songs on their EP.
“It’s very personal to me. I lost somebody a long time ago, and I didn’t know how to tell anyone at the time because I was not good at being vulnerable,” Stuart said to the audience. Her lyrics are thoughtful and layered with meaning, while her powerful vocals left many in the room speechless.
NONEWFRIENDS. ended the night with an encore after the crowd pumped their fists and chanted “One more song! One more song!” They finished their set with their most popular single “Already Gone.” This was what their devout fans in the audience were waiting for all night, with many singing the lyrics and dancing.
After the show, Stuart and August spoke further about “Do You Still Think About Me?” produced by music artists Theo Rogers and Elijah Judah. August himself created the graphic used for the EP cover.
“It really encapsulated [an] era of us as a group because it was all recorded during COVID and we recorded all of it in our house,” Stuart said. “It focuses heavily on interpersonal relationships. It’s just really honest…it feels like we’re kind of like a little ecosystem within each other because everyone’s so talented.”
August spoke of his experience performing with the band. “I’m trying to just have fun, you know. I’m with my best friends… I like to get crazy sometimes, but it’s just because I go on stage to literally release it. Also, if people see me going crazy, then they’ll feel like they can go crazy.”
NONEWFRIENDS. is playing at the Mercury Lounge in New York on Mar. 16, with another show in Los Angeles on Apr. 16. Stuart also hinted that new music is, “coming sooner than you think.”
After such a strong start to the year, it will be a thrill to see what else this band has in store for future releases and performances.