Formed in August of 2012 while 3 of the members were still in college, Chennai, India’s The F16s were deemed an “Artist to Watch For” by Rolling Stone India by the end of 2013, following the release of their debut EP Kaleidoscope. The group went on to release another EP and a full length, 2016’s Triggerpunkte. Since forming, they have traversed the length and breadth of the Indian indie music landscape, performing at prime festivals and venues across the country, having recently ventured into Southeast Asia with a 6 city tour through Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand.
The F16s are currently signed to Oxford, Mississippi indie label HOUSE ARREST, and are set to release their first EP for the label, titled WKND FRNDS on May 31st.
Shares the label: “We were fascinated to discover The F16s writing and performing such relatable pop-rock songs so many miles away. We had to reach out to see what their story is, which eventually led to us working together. Their new EP WKND FRNDS is a big step for The F16s and we’re excited to see the reaction in both India and over here in the U.S.”
Stereogum has premiered the video for the EP’s first single, “Amber” which was wonderfully conceptualized and animated by Deepti Sharma, who set out to explore “themes like the relationship with self, identity, and how the world around you affects how you perceive yourself.” The band in turn were thrilled to collaborate with Deepti, who hit them up “from the ether, and everything just fell into place. Her idea, backed by the initial storyboards, was an instant hit, and we just ran with it from there. We added a couple of nods to where we’re from by peppering the video with little cameos from our friends in the Indian music scene.” Deepti adds, “We had a lot of fun sneaking in a bunch of easter eggs in the film, for the audience to find.”
Check out more from The F16s here: BANDCAMP / FACEBOOK / TWITTER
Preorder WKND FRNDS HERE.
WKND FRNDS EP Tracklist
- My Baby’s Beak
- Boudoir
- Amber
- WkndFrnds
