Birmingham, AL, couple Leslie Lochamy (bass, vocals, keyboards) and Reed Lochamy (guitars, vocals, keyboards) formed a two-person recording "project" in 1997, experimenting with several names before deciding on Friends of Sound. With songs often featuring aspiring musician friends, trumpet playing 11-year-olds, and a five-year-old songwriter (a cousin who wrote the lyrics to "So Mean"), their simple pop compositions sound like "early classic Sarah Records 7" singles filtered through a late model weirdometer." A barrage of homespun four-track cassettes led to a distribution deal with indie label Parasol Distribution who released their lo-fi pop full-length CD Rock-Ola in early 2001. ~ Zac Johnson