FR FR by The Vardaman Ensemble
Instrumentalists The Vardaman Ensemble have been busy restructuring! Since 2023, Zen went on a maternity break, HL went on unemployment, and Eric continued Eric-ing while the band added Alex on synths and Vard superfan Nick on bass. After releasing the simply named EP at the end of 2024 (four songs based on a love for Ricky Wilson’s guitar playing and the party atmosphere of the B-52s), the band started readying a full-length album called FR FR. The songs play with genre, blending Hip Hop, Electronic elements, Tropicália-associated rock, Shoegaze, and New Age Ambient and marry them with other, stranger forms (Indie Sleaze? Southern Rock?? Folk Concrète???).
While this free-wheeling approach is nothing new in either popular music or The Vardaman Ensemble’s back catalog, FR FR does differ in that many of the songs are Pop--or as Pop as The Vardaman Ensemble can be. In that vein, they’ve sold tracks of commercial time to the company BrandCo. From this experience, the band have learned that BrandCo will help you ... become a better you! Go ahead and dive into The Vardaman Ensemble’s first true commercial release and become a better and more enlightened you--because it's always easier to buy happiness than try to make it yourself.
Tracklist
| 1. | FR FR | 1:52 |
| 2. | A Very Bad Wizard | 3:15 |
| 3. | Commercial One | 0:17 |
| 4. | Waiting for ODOT | 6:22 |
| 5. | The Summer of Our Discount Tent | 3:37 |
| 6. | Commercial Two | 0:11 |
| 7. | Aquafaba | 6:32 |
| 8. | Commercial Three | 0:22 |
| 9. | Helicopter Roulette | 3:07 |
| 10. | Etron Fou Leloubleu | 3:26 |
| 11. | Commercial Four | 0:23 |
| 12. | Ad Astra Per Assholes | 9:51 |
Credits
Recorded, Mixed, Mastered by Vard in 2025. Eric, HL, Nick, Zen, and Alex played & voiced. Melissa also added voices. All hail Martin Denny.
