INTERVIEW

‘FEELS LIKE HELL’ COMES ALIVE — Weakened Friends are stepping into a new chapter with urgency and bite. Joining The Wonder Years on their “No Closer to Heaven” tour alongside Knuckle Puck, the Portland trio brought that momentum to Riviera Theatre on April 2 in the wake of their latest album release, Feels Like Hell.

Led by Sonia Sturino (vocals, guitar), alongside Annie Hoffman (bass) and Adam Hand (drums), Weakened Friends are louder, sharper and more unrestrained than ever. Fresh off the release of Feels Like Hell, Weakened Friends are stepping into a sharpened, more expansive version of themselves. Balancing fan favorites like “NPC” and “Awkward” with new cuts “Lightspeed,” “Smoke and Mirrors,” and “Queen of Town,” the band tore through their set with relentless intensity. Sturino led the charge with fierce, commanding vocals, channeling a cathartic energy.

Feels Like Hell thrives in tension. The record stares down nihilism, particularly the kind born from late-stage capitalism and refuses to succumb. Live, that dynamic becomes even more potent. There’s a freedom in Weakened Friends’ performance that is messy, loud and unguarded. Rather than sanding down their rough edges, they lean into them.

Backstage before their Riviera set, the band spoke with Luna Collective about life on the road, the reception to Feels Like Hell and the rhythms of tour. Half a year removed from the album’s release, its impact is still unfolding with fans finding themselves in its jagged edges.

LUNA: Welcome back and thank you for talking to Luna again. It's super exciting to have you back since the last time we talked before Feels Like Hell was released. I would love to catch up and see how life has been treating you and what have you been up to since the last time we talked.

SONIA: The tour has been awesome. We did two big headliner runs around the album release, which fully exceeded our expectations. We hadn't really headlined much since before COVID happened, and we weren’t sure how many people would show up, but they did and it’s been lovely.

LUNA: It’s been about half a year since the release of your Feels Like Hell album. What has the response from listeners, friends, or even strangers been like? Has anything surprised you about how people have connected with it?

SONIA: I've yet to see a negative review, other than maybe a couple trolls on the internet. But it's been all good. It's been nice to just play these shows and then be out there and realize that there's a lot of people that are finding us specifically through this record. For a lot of the people, this is their first time coming out to a Weakened Friends show. I think the record’s really done a lot for us and picked up some momentum for us. That's a great, pleasant surprise.

LUNA: What has it been like sharing a tour bill with bands like The Wonder Years and Knuckle Puck, who have such dedicated fanbases?

SONIA: It's been awesome so far. This is day three, so we've just popped onto the tour, first and foremost, such nice bands. We were even just saying, some of the nicest bands we've ever toured with, instantaneously, very friendly, accommodating, helpful and kind. And that's not always a given, so that's really nice. Just such sweet guys, such nice people. The audiences, you know when bands are such great people and such nice people, I feel like that really just translates into the kind of people who come and see those bands. Just to be able to play in front of an audience that's been curated out of love and a good place, and feel very welcomed in that space as a band that's opening up the night is really special. We're just happy to be a part of this amazing community that these guys have put together.

LUNA: How have those audiences responded to your set each night, especially if they’re discovering you for the first time?

SONIA: They've been so kind. It's been a great audience response. It's the kind of audience that is just so eager for music and to be at the show, and it's really lovely just standing side stage while The Wonder Years are playing and seeing people sing their hearts out. I was knowing every single word and just got very emotional about the music, and it's very special. Just to be able to play in front of people who are that passionate about coming and seeing a live show, especially in this very fucked up climate in this world that we live in, it's very nice to have that catharsis and have that safe space and have a place to scream and cry to your favorite songs with your friends. It's really nice to be here and be in that.

LUNA: Do you have any specific pre-show rituals or post-show regimens that help ground you or boost your performance on stage?

SONIA: I usually stretch and jump around, drink some tea and hit the bathroom.

LUNA: Are there particular songs from Feels Like Hell that have taken on a new life in a live setting?

SONIA: We have a very short set as the opener, so we're not playing it tonight, but in this room specifically, this beautiful, large theater, we have the song “Great Expectations.” At sound check, I just wanted to play that song in this room. I just wanted to feel that and hear that. And that song, I feel like I was a little worried and apprehensive on how that would come across in the live show, because it starts out very quiet and soft, and we're generally a loud, balls to the wall kind of band, and it's been one of my favorite songs to play live. I think it's really emotional.

LUNA: How do you hope listeners can connect with or find power in this new era of music from you? What emotions or messages do you want to leave with them?

SONIA: I think that even though it's easy to become a nihilist, there is something very special to finding something you're passionate about and giving yourself a little piece of hope in your own life and in the world around you. I think that only inspires that forward to other people. Sometimes the subject matter of the songs can be relatively dark or again, nihilistic, or just a comment on the more negative emotions and experiences that I go through as a person or that I see in the world around me, but getting to just sit down and write music and perform that music is my favorite thing in the world to do. It really does make me realize that these are just times we are going through. Ultimately, your life is a blip, but that's all the more reason to just find your passion, chase it and be the superhero in your own life.

LUNA: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the rest of the year look like that you would like to share with Luna?

ANNIE: I feel so grateful. I think back to playing the basement shows or the small clubs that you're playing to the sound person and the bartender to and flash forward to now, where there's just a sold out room of people screaming it back at you. This is what I wanted to do with my life and it's working.

SONIA: It feels really good. It took us a minute to get here, but it really does feel like there's a lot of momentum, and we're obviously very grateful about it. The year ahead looks like there's going to be definitely more touring. I can't really say what yet, but we are planning on touring in the fall. We’re all feeling really good about where we’re at right now.