By: Kyle Brown
Frnd Crcl, pronounced “Friend Circle”, are a band based out of Vineland, NJ who have slowly been making waves in the pop punk genre. They began to make a name for themselves with the release of their sophomore more album, Internet Noise, released back in 2020, but have been together since 2018. The band has a sound that echos the likes of Blink-182 and Sum 41.
Since Internet Noise, the band has had some rough seas to travel on. The band lost two of its founding members shortly after Internet Noice’s release. This made everything change like a metric modulation. Going from four members to two, Frnd Crcl had to navigate waters left unchartered to them. Zac Johnson (Guitar, Vocals) and Aaron Smith (Drums, Vocals) had to figure out what was next, and how to keep their musical hopes alive. Through what has been the young band’s most difficult experience, came a third member, Zac’s brother Nick Johnson (Bass Guitar) and arguably the band’s most complete album, Suburban Dictionary.
Suburban Dictionary came with a motto that the band was quoted saying, “Fuck being mainstream” and that the album is the ones that never fit in. “It’s for the rejects and their circle of friends ‘cuz that’s what we’re really about.” When I came across that quote recently, I immediately went back to when the band’s drummer, Aaron and I were in high school. Aaron and I met in ninth grade band, and have been friends since. With the circle of friends I formed, that quote hit home. Their music from that album, hit harder.
East Coast anthem, “Fuck California“, where the band encourages listeners to open their eyes and broaden their perspectives with catchy melodies and instrumentals. It is a song that really tries explain how the East Coast is better, and as an east coaster, I am here for it. Songs like “ADHD“, “Don’t Wait Up” and my personal favorite, “Orange Tang“, keep the album alive and a joy to listen to.

With the bands success, Pittsburgh Music Magazine reached out to Frnd Crcl to ask them a few questions that focused on how the band came to be, their success through the hard times, the spectacular music videos, and more.
This question goes for Aaron. Man, we just passed the 10-year mark on graduating high school. I still have fond memories of our core group outside the trailers each morning, come rain, snow, or high temps. Never living down when my car was crashed into and me not believing it till it went out on the school intercom for everyone to hear. The sports banters we all had. Band class. Looking back, did you even think it would be possible to be in a band that is touring the United States and getting noticed more and more with each new song/album?
Aaron: In HS I had a strong passion for drums, but it was only just playing covers in my parent’s basement and crafting my skills in that way. Never did I think I’d be using this talent playing shows in various parts of the country. It was not a goal of mine to play in a band until after high school. I’m fortunate to have met Zac in college and be able to take it to the next level.
For anyone who may be reading this and have not heard of you, can you take moment to explain how the band came to be, your sound as a band (genre/who you feel you may sound like), and who you feel might gravitate to your music the most?
Nick: The band started off when Zac and Aaron met in a community college course. You know how each class does those icebreaker questions and Aaron mentioned he played drums, Zac said he played guitar and after showing the demos, we just had a few band practices and went from there! Our sound has always been pop punk at its core, but we try to blend elements of pop/hip-hop and even country to make it unique to us and our audience.
When you guys got the news, whether you knew it long before it went public or not, that two of the founding four members were calling it quits a few years back, what was the thought process on how to continue? And how’d your newest member come about?
Aaron: Zac and I knew we wanted to continue on with the project, especially how much time and effort we have already put in previous years. It was an odd moment as we were a bit unsure in what direction to go, but we had music demos ready and we thought the best route was to head to the studio just the two of us.
Nick: Zac came to me about working with FRND CRCL last summer, and we started rehearsals for Suburban Dictionary around this time last year, as well as some Internet Noise material for me to get caught up on.

Let’s talk about the music videos for a moment. They are one of my favorite things about you as a band. In a world where people don’t care nearly as much about music vids anymore like when we were growing up in the MTV heyday, the ideas and concepts behind them always amaze me. From the locations, to the actual stories they tell, and props; how are they brought to life? Who comes up with the ideas and what goes into bringing them to life?
Frnd Crcl: Credit to Zac for having a creative story-telling mind. Not only through music but through videos as well. Zac usually presents these ideas to the band and usually they come off a bit unrealistic, but luckily we found a great videographer in Trevor Jennings to bring Zac’s wild ideas to life. We feel the execution was perfect for both “47” and “Golden”. Long ass filming days, but certainly worth it in the end.
Your third studio album, Suburban Dictionary, was released a few months ago and has had some really great reviews. Many ranking it very high on the top albums of the year so far. So, 1) What does that mean to you as a band, 2) and where do you go from here?
Frnd Crcl: It’s honestly a bit of a surreal feeling to see multiple journalists list Suburban Dictionary on AOTY lists. We are honestly grateful for anyone just to give our music a chance, the extra praise and honorable mentions are just the icing on the cake!
It takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears to make an album. No one ever really knows the reaction it will get until its actually put out to the world. Hearing all the feedback on the latest album, what are the emotions you feel? Has it lived up to the expectations you had while putting it together?
Frnd Crcl: We try to raise the bar with each release of our music, whether it be a single, EP or a full length. It does get nerve-wracking the final 30 minutes or so before midnight when your new release is about to drop, but hearing compliments, people sharing it always makes those long nights in the studio or at home planning the release much more worth it. Once it’s out we always feel great sense of accomplishment as we start a new chapter of the band.
What are some of the challenges you have faced as a band, and how did you overcome them?
Aaron: As mentioned before, the change in our band lineup was something we never faced before and probably the most difficult. We’ve had van troubles that every band come across at some point in their journey lol. The biggest challenge I would say is just operating as an independent band and just trying to navigate everything yourself and of course bearing the financial burden of that. We as band just try to remain level-headed when adversity hits and communicating effectively amongst each other.
In 2021, you signed onto Lost Music Collective, Vinnie Fiorello’s (Less Than Jake) record label. How has being signed on with that label helped the band expand and create more as artists?
Frnd Crcl: Signing with Lost Music Collective at the time helped us in many aspects of being a band. Even though we have parted ways, we wish them nothing but the best going forward!
You’ve toured the east coast, the midwest, and have just announced a tour in the west. What has it been like to go out on tour in a van and spend hours driving and playing in different cities?
Frnd Crcl: There’s nothing like being out on the road. It’s a thrilling experience because all you are doing during that time is living, breathing and sleeping music with your best friends. You put the bullshit behind such as work or personal things and just focus on putting on a good performance for our fans.
Favorite tour stops so far?
Aaron: I know it’s cliche, but we always enjoy playing in Philly as it’s kind of a “hometown” show for us. We’ve had great shows heading down the coast towards the Carolinas and Atlanta, GA!
After the west coast tour, what’s next for Frnd Crcl? Any plans in the works?
Frnd Crcl: Anything is on the table for us! Zac is always making demos, so there’s always a good chance we are in the studio working on a new project. We are aiming to play shows around the Northeast to end the year and aiming for new regions to hit in early 2024! Be ready for anything!
In this profession, sacrifices sometimes have to be made in order to grow as a band and get more opportunities. Crazy long hours, touring, etc. How do you cope with all of that and are there any regrets on missing something looking back?
Frnd Crcl: This is an interesting question as we feel this doesn’t get talked about enough! Being a band, even at this level requires making sacrifices in all aspects of life. We have found ourselves missing out on family celebrations and holidays due to band obligations. It’s something that you as a person have to realize the obligations that come with the job and also the loved ones around you, so there is no animosity.
What are the bands socials for fans to keep up with you?
Frnd Crcl: We are @FRNDCRCL across the board! TikTok, Instagram, whatever Twitter has become nowadays. We also have our website FRNDCRCL.com.
The band is going on tour, be sure to check them out!
