Furlough Fridays to release album influenced by shifted lineup

Local alternative rock band Furlough Fridays‘ new album is a celebration of the band’s triumph over a cumbersome lineup change. The result? Families coming together.

The album release party starting 9 p.m. Friday at LaSalles will highlight “Divided,” a culmination of what singer Minnie Mental described as a 1 1/2 year long “bittersweet experience, and a very positive one too.”

The band lost two members, guitarist Brian Larson and drummer Sam Casale, early in the “Divided” writing process. The two moved forward in different directions than the Furlough Fridays’ music was taking them.

Eventually, Mental’s husband, JP Bergmann, volunteered to fill in on drums, becoming the official fourth member and bringing a balance. Furlough Fridays had always consisted of one couple: guitarist and bassist, Adam and Meagan Yates. Now the band is made up of two.

“The dynamics are very different from your average band,” Mental said.

Since both couples have been married for more than 10 years, they can understand and appreciate the importance of effective and constructive communication, she said.

“Now we are trying to adjust to operating as a band long distance,” she said.

The Yates’ live in Redding, approximately 73 miles from Chico. Issues with travel and playing late shows complicate life with kids.

“Child care and sleeping are the hardest parts,” Yates said. “We often end up doing sleepovers and our kids, for some reason, love to get up early on Sundays and make amazingly loud noises. But we love them.”

It seems that frustrations spilled over into the writing process, because Mental described the new album as having some “edgy, high-energy songs, as well as some mellower, heartfelt” ones.

The album is available for $5 at the release party with admission of $7. Openers include Six Mile Station, Scattered Bones, Dr. Luna and FallRise.

Concertgoers should be prepared to relive the ’90s and headbang relentlessly through a wall of sound.

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