young friend Shares "Michael Wakes Up" Single, Announces Tour Dates

Vancouver indie songwriter Drew Tarves, aka young friend, has shared 'Michael Wakes Up,' the final single ahead of his forthcoming album, New Entertainment, due out November 6th via Nettwerk. Marking a pivotal leap in Tarves' evolution as a songwriter, 'Michael Wakes Up' trades singular narrative for a sprawling, vignette-style structure, weaving together the distinct, everyday realities of three separate characters navigating heartbreak, sudden fortune, and personal reinvention. Premiering on Under the Radar, the outlet noted the 'cathartic celebration of the rich spectrum of the human experience.' Director Zachary Vague illustrates the slice-of-life energy in the accompanying music video.

This nuanced, empathetic storytelling mirrors the raw, unvarnished ethos of New Entertainment as a whole. Grounded in a live-off-the-floor, fully analog recording approach, the track captures human resilience in its purest form, celebrating the quiet, profound moments that define shared existence. Tarves elaborates: 'Michael Wakes Up follows a number of characters that are all experiencing different realities in their lives. Michael being told by Shelly that she doesn't love him any longer, John winning the lottery with his daughter's birthday as his numbers, Damien being let go from his company but continuing to do what he loves. These people are all experiencing their own beautiful stories.'

'Michael Wakes Up' follows recent singles 'Anything Anything' and 'Miracle,' which will appear on the forthcoming full-length. Tarves brought the song structures into rehearsals, allowing the band to flesh out arrangements organically – resulting in a tactile sound that nods to classic influences like Wilco and Neil Young. The album was produced by Tarves' longtime collaborator David Marinelli (FINNEAS, Wallice, spill tab), and the two recently connected for an artist-on-artist interview for Talkhouse.

young friend will bring these songs to life on 'The Hard Rock Tour,' which kicks off with a hometown show in Vancouver on November 4th at The Hollywood Theatre, where fans can get a live glimpse of the new album ahead of its release. From there, young friend will head to Los Angeles with support from Marinelli, New York with support from Hana Eid, and Toronto, with support from Lia Pappas Kemps.

About young friend

Drew Tarves' music as young friend feels classic and immediate all at once, capturing the nostalgia of post-adolescence while diving deep into a pool of self-reflection. His sophomore album, New Entertainment, is about fear and love in equal measure. An exploration of the ways AI and new technology are infiltrating our lives, but also a celebration of friendship and family, and genuine time spent. Of the slow process, the inevitable mistakes.

A trained dancer for most of his adolescence, the 27-year-old Vancouver native switched artistic disciplines after spending time jamming with his musician friends. 'I found out very quickly that I loved it,' he recalls. 'It was my favorite thing to do.' Armed with a guitar and a laptop, Tarves started hashing out early songwriting attempts in GarageBand as he found his own style: 'It was all about experimenting while trying to find what worked for me.'

In 2022, Tarves released his indie-pop debut EP HOW DID WE GET HERE? and quickly followed it up with a sophomore release in 2023 titled scaredy cat. 2024 brought in his first Canadian and international touring as well as a JUNO nomination. His debut full-length, motorcycle sound effects, was released in 2025. New Entertainment, produced by friend and frequent collaborator David Marinelli (Wallice, Finneas, spill tab), was recorded entirely in the studio, live off the floor.

A true rock record, New Entertainment is asking to be played on an old record player or the tape deck of Joni, Drew's 2001 Mazda pickup.

young friend 'The Hard Rock Tour' Dates

November 4 – Vancouver, BC @ The Hollywood Theatre

November 25 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo LA

November 27 – New York, NY @ Nightclub 101

November 28 – Toronto, ON @ Baby G

Tracklist

1. Hard Rock

2. Miracle

3. The Yard

4. Dad's Garage

5. Grand Canyon

6. New Entertainment

7. 2 Birds

8. Anything Anything

9. Everything the Light Touches

10. What's Mine Is Yours

11. Michael Wakes Up

12. If You See It on the News

Photo Credit: Zachary Vague