FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MAY 2015 ATHENS BASED COLLECTIVE FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO RELEASE NEW EP XOXO ON JULY 17th "This band from Athens, Georgia socks you with so much spirit and soul that you get a little woozy from it...It’s the sound of people not just surviving, but thriving and beaming." - Paste Magazine Nashville, TN – Eclectic indie folk-rock septet Family and Friends will be independently releasing their second EP, XOXO on July 17th. Rooted in the vibrant Athens, GA music scene, the group joined together under the mantra of “good music, good people” and has been steadily gaining a loyal following throughout the southeast. Fusing tribal rhythms, featuring two drummers, with infectious, anthemic choruses and dynamic arrangements, a Family and Friends live show feels more like a communal revival with your best friends than a concert. A consistent theme running through the band’s music and live show, is their focus on being a “collective”. The ideology that the sum is greater than all of the individual parts is the foundation of this young ensemble. Family and Friends (Mike MacDonald, Casey Harper, Jamie Rios, Ryan Houchens, JP McKenzie, Tuna Fortuna, and Maria Kindt) met and formed at University of Georgia, and through the Athens music scene. Adding to the band’s unique vibe is the fact that their two drummers face each other, allowing them to feed off each others intensity, a vision that the band had from their inception. Family and Friends recorded XOXO at Echo Mountain studio in Asheville, NC with producer Dan Hannon (Manchester Orchestra) at the helm. A follow-up to their 2014 release Love You, Mean It, the new EP showcases a more polished broader spectrum of sounds, yet still allowing individual players to shine within a collective unit. All five of the songs on XOXO are originals, with the group penning three and Mike MacDonald writing the other two. Over the next year, Family and Friends plan to continue to write and tour full time as they get ready to record their first full length album and take their “live in the moment” performances to the rest of the world. Family and Friends Tour Dates May 30 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West June 20 – Nashville, TN – Musician’s Corner June 27 – Athens, GA – AthFest July 25 – Macon, GA – Bragg Jam August 18 – Covington, KY – Madison Live August 19 – Indianapolis, IN – The HI-FI August 20 – Madison, WI – The Frequency August 21 – Cedarburg, WI – Summer Sounds August 22 – Chicago, IL – Schubas Tavern For more information about Family and Friends please contact Donica Christensen [email protected] or Jim Flammia [email protected] 615-227-2770 .