It’s a good time to be from Saskatoon, and local band Friends of Foes knows it. With an upcoming EP and western Canadian tour, things are looking up for the prairie indie-rockers.

The group’s upcoming EP Faults will be released Feb. 12, with a same-date album release show at the Capitol Music Club kicking off their eight-date western Canadian tour.

Formed in January 2013, Friends of Foes have done well for themselves in the last three years. They released their first full-length album in December 2013 and have already toured the country from east to west.

While touring is becoming a more common occurrence for the band, lead vocalist Celeste Nicholson, a fourth-year drama major at the University of Saskatchewan, notes that it has its disadvantages.

“I think on the road is a little bit more stressful because you don’t know people. You don’t know what they’re going to think. You don’t know, at the end, if people are going to enjoy what they heard or if they’re just going to get up and leave,” Nicholson said.

On the contrary, Matt Stinn, the group’s guitarist, finds that touring can be a welcome change from local shows.

“For me, it’s almost the exact opposite. Being on the road people-wise is easier because I know nobody, so I feel no pressure. But the show situations are completely different,” Stinn said.

As Nicholson points out, for a band just entering its fourth year, playing at the Capitol offers a taste of nostalgia.

“When we first started, we played at Lydia’s, so it’s like coming home,” Nicholson said, referencing the Capitol’s interior decorating and atmosphere, much of which was salvaged from the now-demolished Lydia’s Pub in Saskatoon.

While all four members of the band, including drummer Keegan Stretch and bassist Anthony Nickel — a fourth-year education student at the U of S — collaborate to create the group’s unique sound, their prior musical interests are incredibly diverse.

“Go down the Warped Tour roster from 2005 and check off every second band and that was my iPod,” Stinn said.

As the group’s singer jokes, this is not an affinity all members share.

“Those are the moments when I put my headphones on extra loud in the van. The screaming — I just can’t take it. That’s not something that’s nostalgic nor is it entertaining for me,” Nicholson said. “Musical theatre is where it’s at.”

Despite varied tastes, they’ve found mutual collaboration has grown easier over time.

“We always sum up the band’s writing style as very collaborative,” Stinn said. “It’s about finding a healthy balance while being able to look at your part and hopefully recognize whether or not it’s serving the song properly.”

Nicholson recognizes that being in a band has helped her grow as a songwriter.

“When we first started the band, I didn’t even know how to write a song,” Nicholson said. “I used to come in after the song was complete. We’ve gotten together more now as a full band writing.”

Regarding the title of Faults — also the title of the album’s first single — Nicholson suggested that while one’s faults may be personal, the themes on the album should be universal for all listeners.

“I wrote specifically about myself and my life but it’s to appeal to anybody,” Nicholson said. “It could be personal flaws; it could be other people in your life. It’s trying to look at your faults from the perspective of someone who has faults themselves.”

Lastly, while up-and-coming bands can’t always be choosy about finding opening acts on the road, when it comes to fantasy openers, Nicholson knows exactly who her dream pick would be.

“I want Adele. It wouldn’t work musically but I just want to meet her, so I want her to play in front of us.”

You can catch Friends of Foes with guests Coldest Night of the Year and ACRONYMS on Friday, Feb. 12 at the Capitol Music Club. For more information, check out friendsoffoes.com.

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Photo: Supplied / Morgan Carter