FRIKO Release "Dirty Diamond" Single, Tour to Hit LA, NYC, Chicago

Friko—the Chicago based band of vocalist/guitarist Niko Kapetan, drummer Bailey Minzenberger, guitarist Korgan Robb, and bassist David Fuller—released new single 'Dirty Diamond' today, ahead of this Friday's release of 'Something Worth Waiting For (Expanded Edition),' via ATO Records. The original album landed in Most Anticipated of 2026 lists from Pitchfork and The New York Times and on Best of The Year So Far lists from NPR Music, Stereogum, Consequence, Paste, Rough Trade, Exclaim, and more. The digital-only Expanded Edition features 4 brand new songs, recorded with producer John Congleton during the aforementioned album sessions, and 2 demos for standout single 'Seven Degrees' and the title-track 'Something Worth Waiting For.'

'One of our most sinister sounding songs to date,' Kapetan says of 'Dirty Diamond', 'this one started out as more of a 6 minute epic but we ended up shortening it in the studio when we recorded it. It feels more concise and impactful as a burst of dark, ripping energy.'

After successful runs in Asia around Fuji Rock festival, where they sold out all three of their China dates, and Europe where the band performed through the summer festival circuit including appearances at Haldern Pop, AFF, Ypsigrock, Paredes De Coura, La Route Du Rock, Green Man, Pstereo, Into The Great Wide Open, support dates for Nation of Language across the UK, and a sold-out headlining show at London's Moth Club, they will now embark on a massive headline tour across North America that kicks off today, and will conclude with their first appearance at Corona Capital and a hometown victory lap at The Salt Shed. Tickets are now on sale and available here.

With Something Worth Waiting For, Friko mined inspiration from their endless state of motion over the past two years, arriving at a body of work that speaks to a more existential form of movement. Recorded with producer John Congleton (a Grammy Award-winner known for his work with St. Vincent, Mannequin Pussy, Mogwai, and more) at his studio in Los Angeles, Something Worth Waiting For bears a heightened urgency that Friko partly attribute to a profound shift in their production process. And with the addition of Robb and Fuller to Friko's lineup, Kapetan and Minzenberger found an ideal match for their viscerally attuned yet voraciously creative sensibilities.

In the making of their sophomore full-length, the band gained a powerful new clarity on their purpose and vision while embracing an even bolder sense of abandon, exploring everything from noise-rock to avant-garde classical to '70s-era symphonic balladry. Equal parts sonically extravagant and emotionally searing, Something Worth Waiting For ultimately locates a wildly elusive balance between the wide-eyed idealism of youth and the self-possessed grit of lived experience.

Something Worth Waiting For (Expanded Edition) Tracklisting

1. Guess

2. Still Around

3. Choo Choo

4. Alice

5. Certainty

6. Hot Air Balloon

7. Seven Degrees

8. Something Worth Waiting For

9. Dear Bicycle

10. Necessary

11. Dirty Diamond

12. Look At Ya Now

13. Rock Song

14. Seven Degrees (Demo)

15. Something Worth Waiting For (Demo)

Friko Tour Dates

Tue. Sep. 8 - St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway

Thu. Sep. 10 - Houston, TX @ Womh - Upstairs

Fri. Sep. 11 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk

Sat. Sep. 12 - Dallas, TX @ Rubber Gloves Patio

Mon. Sep. 14 - Denver, CO @ Marquis

Wed. Sep. 16 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court

Fri. Sep. 18 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar

Sat. Sep. 19 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah

Sun. Sep. 20 - Los Angeles, CA @ Sid The Cat Auditorium

Mon. Sep. 21 - San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop

Thu. Sep. 24 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall

Fri. Sep. 25 - Seattle, WA @ Baba Yaga

Sat. Sep. 26 - Vancouver, BC @ Fox Cabaret

Wed. Sep. 30 - Morrison, CA @ Red Rocks (w/ Back Seat Lovers)

Thu. Oct. 15 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line (venue upgrade)

Fri. Oct. 16 - Milwaukee, WI @ Vivarium

Sat. Oct. 17 - Detroit, MI @ The Loving Touch

Mon. Oct. 19 - Toronto, ON @ The Great Hall

Tue. Oct. 20 - Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz

Thu. Oct. 22 - Boston, MA @ The Sinclair

Fri. Oct. 23 - New York, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg

Sat. Oct. 24 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry

Mon. Oct. 26 - Washington, DC @ Atlantis

Tue. Oct. 27 - Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall

Wed. Oct. 28 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West

Fri. Oct. 30 - Nashville, TN @ The Blue Room

Sat. Oct. 31 - Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar

Fri. Nov. 20 - Mexico City, MX @ Corona Capital Festival

Sat. Dec. 19 - Chicago, IL @ Salt Shed (w/ Ratboys)

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