# Buddy (band)

Buddy is an indie pop band from Los Angeles, formed in 2006 by lead singer and songwriter Buddy (full name needed). The band gained recognition with its debut album, "Alterations and Repairs" (2007), and has since developed its sound through subsequent releases. Known for melodic indie pop and collaborations with artists like Michelle Branch and Cary Brothers, Buddy's music has been featured in television series such as One Tree Hill and Ghost Whisperer.

## History

The origins of Los Angeles-based indie pop group Buddy’s second album, Last Call for the Quiet Life, stem from a period of creative revision. Following the release of their debut album, Alterations and Repairs, in 2007, the band received widespread acclaim. Originally founded in 2006 by Portland-born musician Buddy, who relocated to Los Angeles in 2002, the project began as an acoustic endeavor before evolving into a full rock band. This transformation was largely influenced by their live performances at local LA venues and on national tours. A turning point came when Buddy was invited to open for Tommy Stinson. Due to an injury that prevented him from playing guitar, he needed a backing band—solidifying the group’s transition into a rock-oriented sound.
As Buddy began composing material for the band's second album, the lines between his acoustic singer-songwriter roots and the band’s amplified rock sensibilities blurred, creating uncertainty about the album’s direction. In 2009, the band recorded an entire album, only to shelve it after touring with Gomez in 2010, realizing it didn’t fully represent them.
Reflecting on this period, Buddy admitted:
   "The first record came together very naturally... But on this second record, I felt like I was not as sure of myself or what I was doing. I felt like I was riding this wave of energy but not really sure how it felt at the end of the day. I liked the record, but it didn’t feel authentically me. I think we had an identity crisis. It was a hard decision to put it aside because we had spent a ton of time on it, but there was something missing. I had a responsibility to really stand behind something and focus on the longevity of the project. It should be the best we could do, and this wasn’t it. It was really risky. It stopped everything.”
For the next year, Buddy found himself adrift, uncertain about the band’s future or the direction of his music. Seeking a fresh creative spark, he turned to collaboration. Though five tracks from the scrapped album were eventually released in 2012 as the Campfire EP, Buddy still longed for a new vision for his second full-length record. That same year, he and producer Will Golden began writing and recording together in Los Angeles, working in close partnership. Golden took the lead on much of the album’s production, helping to shape a bigger, fuller sound infused with electronic elements—a departure from Buddy’s earlier work.
Golden later reflected on the process:
   "Buddy's songs are very personal to him, and he puts so much of himself into them... So I understood why he felt like it wasn't working, but at the end of the day, I think we still learned a lot from it. It was really nice to get in and work together. It was late nights. We would just show up every day. We wrote over 30 songs. We could sift through those and decide what would work. It was simple and really easy. These songs represent Buddy really well and show how he’s grown as a songwriter."
The resulting album, Last Call for the Quiet Life, captures Buddy’s personal struggles and artistic reconciliation over the past few years. Many of the songs function as a form of confessional therapy, addressing the themes and ideas that preoccupied him. One track, "Anchor," originated as a poem—marking a new songwriting approach for Buddy. The album’s title is drawn from a line in its opening track, encapsulating the fleeting nature of opportunity. Musically, the album embraces an up-tempo rock energy reflective of Buddy’s live performances, with layered instrumentation creating an introspective yet buoyant indie-pop sound.
The album also features several guest musicians, including Michelle Branch, Cary Brothers, and Holly Conlan, who contributed vocals. Recording was completed in early 2013, followed by mixing sessions with Phil Ek at Avast Studios in Seattle in February and March. The album was then mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound in New York City in March 2013.

## Band members

* Buddy – Vocals, Guitar
* Will Golden – Bass/Guitar (Gary Jules, Cougar Town)
* Al Sgro – Drums (Gary Jules, Cougar Town)
* Fil Krohnengold – Keyboards/Guitar (Sara Bareilles, Golden Smog, Duncan Sheik, Operation Aloha)
* Percy Haverson Guitar (Knifeyhead aka Walk Evil Talk)
Additional members
* Holly Conlan – Vocals, Keys
* Michael Jerome – Drums (John Cale, Better than Ezra)
* Michael Tritter – Analog Sounds
* Oli Krause – Strings (Sia, Gomez, Rachael Yamagata)

## Discography
### Albums

* "Last Call For The Quiet Life" (August 19, 2014) · (Stove Punchin', USA) – CD/LP/VINYL #SPRLP02
* Lighten up Francis – unreleased
* Alterations and Repairs (2010) · (Moorworks, Japan) – CD/LP
* Alterations and Repairs (2007) · (Stove Punchin', USA) – CD/LP
"Last Call For The Quiet Life" August 19, 2014. All Songs Written by – Buddy and Will Golden Produced by – Will Golden Recorded and Engineered by – Will Golden at The Chalet – Los Angeles, CA Drums Recorded and Engineered by – Clay Blair at Boulevard Recording – Los Angeles, CA Assisted by – Brian McPhillips Mixed by – Phil Ek at Avast! - Seattle, WA Mastered by – Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound – New York, NY Buddy – vocals, guitars, synths Will Golden – bass, guitars, synths, background vocals Additional Musicians: Guitars: Percy Mamikunian (tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9), Phil Krohnengold (1, 4), Jeramy Koepping (1), Brandon Walters (7, 8) Synths: Michael Tritter (all tracks), Phil Krohnengold (2, 3, 6, 9), Nick White (10) Drums: Michael Jerome (1,3, 4, 5, 8), Frederick Bokkenheuser (2, 6, 7, 9, 10), David Palmer (10) Percussion: Al Sgro (all tracks) Bass: Joe Karnes (all tracks) Cellos: Oli Kraus (4, 8, 9) Vocals: Holly Conlan (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9), Michelle Branch (7, 8), Ian Ball (2, 4, 6), Cary Brothers (2, 3, 5) Group Vocals: Morgan Nagler (2, 4, 5), Jake Bellowes (2, 4, 5), Jiha Lee (2, 4, 5), Nick White (2, 4, 5), Percy Mamikunian (4), Graham Kurzner (4), Ever Golden (5) Cover art Illustrations by: Sprankenstein, London, UK. Layout by: Bait and Tackle Studios Los Angeles, CA.
* Weak Current
* Slow Light Down
* Fault Lines
* Boxing Elbows
* Behind It (Bad Advice)
* Anchor
* Anywhere You Go
* Stare Too Long
* Frames Per Second
* Scrap Metal
"Alterations and Repairs" Released June 26, 2007. Additional musicians/vocalists: Anna-Lynne Williams (Trespassers William), Ben Peeler (Alexi Murdoch), Meiko, Ollie (Sia, Tom McRae). Mixed by Bryan Cook (Inara George, The Bird & The Bee, Gary Jules) and mastered by Roger Siebel (Death Cab for Cutie/Plans). Artwork by PCP (The Postal Service).
* "Say a Lot"
* "Westgate"
* "Apologize (If You Tried)"
* "Blindsides"
* "Color Patterns"
* "11/22"
* "No Heart"
* "Never Timed Just Right"
* "If We Lived Here"
* "Silent Treatment"
* "Regular Time"
* "Last Call Waiting"
* "My Left Your Right (Feat. Meiko)" Japan LP Release only 2010, Single released digitally on iTunes 2012.

### Singles and EPs

* "My Left Your Right" (2012) – (Stove Punchin' Records) – Digital/Single
* "campfire" (2012) – Stove Punchin' Records – EP – Featured on iTunes "Discover this", "Indie Spotlight", "New & Noteworthy", the single "campfire" was featured by KCRW in their Song of the Day, and placed in the feature film Waiting for Ophelia and "lighthouse" was featured on Drop Dead Diva. Additional musicians/vocalists: Ian Ball & Ben Ottewell (Gomez), Cary Brothers, Jesse Carmichael (Maroon 5), Laura Jansen, actor/musician Brendan Hines, holly Conlan. Produced by buddy, will golden and Ian ball. Mixed by Brian Deck.
* "Sun" (2011) – Stove Punchin' Records – EP – limited edition hand-painted sleeve EP, no more exist.
* More of the Shame (2005) · (self-released) – Single
* Buddy (2005) · (self-released) – CD EP
* "Braddock"
* "Make Believe In You"
* "Be Like This"
* "Salt Point"
* "Milkshake"
* "Valentine, Nebraska"
* "Regular Time"
* Side By Side – Duets Vol. 1 (2008) · (Hear Me Sing) – duet performed with AM

### Compilations and covers

* "The Big C" (2011) (Sony Music) charity album from the Showtime series – Track: "Say a Lot" – CD/LP
* "Indie Translations of Usher" (2005) (Urabon Records/Vitaman Records) – Track: "Bad Girl" – CD/LP
* "Perfect As Cats: A Tribute to the Cure" (2008) (Manimal Vinyl) – Track: "Sugar Girl" – 2Disk LP

### Film and television

* Looking For Alaska (TV series) (2019) – Mini Series – Ep. 1 Famous Last Words – Song Featured: "Milkshake"
* Where We're Meant to Be (2016) – Feature Film – Song Featured: "11/22"
* Warren (2014) Feature Film – Song Featured – "Boxing Elbows"
* Community (2012) NBC – Comedy TV Show – Song Featured – "11/22"
* What a Man (2011) Fox Searchlight – German Comedy – Song Featured: "Regular Time"
* Tower Prep (2010) Cartoon Network- ep. 10 phone home – song Featured: "11/22"
* The Big C (2010) Showtime – ep. 7, Song Featured: "Say A Lot"
* Waiting for Ophelia (2010) (Feature Film) – IFC – Song Featured: "Campfire".
* Wake (2009) (Feature Film) – E1 Entertainment – Song Featured: "Say A Lot"
* Cougar Town (2009) – ABC – Song Featured: "Campfire".
* Drop Dead Diva (2009) – Lifetime Network – Song Featured: "lighthouse".
* Ghost Whisperer (2009) – CBS – Song featured: "Is It Cold In Silver Lake?".
* Ghost Whisperer (2007) – CBS – Song featured: "Regular Time".
* One Tree Hill (2005, 2006, 2007) – The WB & The CW – Episode No. 304 featured "More Of The Shame"; episode No. 319 featured "Don't Go Home"; episode No. 402 featured "Westgate"; episode No. 408 featured "11/22"; episode No. 415 featured "Blindsides"
* MTV's Road Rules (2007) – ep. 1407 – Aired 03/13/07 – Song featured: "Last Call Waiting"
* Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast (2006) – Song featured: "Salt Point"

## Press

* "Buddy writes some of the prettiest, catchiest melodic pop songs I've heard in a long time." Elise from SomaFM's Indie Pop Rock show.
* "But one-named newcomer Buddy made up for it by delivering "I'm Still Standing", as if he were about to crumble into dust. His quiet resolve communicated an entirely different kind of strength. Like the best performances here, this proved a great song can take any makeover." Jim Farber, New York Daily News
* "One of the most beautiful tenors to find my ears. Heart-stopping lyrics and melodies". Tom Morello (Audioslave/Rage Against the Machine)
* "Buddy's sincere, soft, melancholy style is irresistible, infectious, and emotionally powerful." Impact Press
* Los Angeles Times: High on the Buddy List.

## Trivia

* Buddy has covered these songs live or on record: Kelis's "Milkshake", The Lemonheads's "Confetti", ZZ Top's "Legs", "Get Your Hands Off of My Woman" by The Darkness, "Ghost In You" by The Psychedelic Furs, "I'm Still Standing" by Elton John and "Polar Opposites" by Modest Mouse.