WATCH / SHARE “MICHAEL WAKES UP” HERE
BUY / STREAM “MICHAEL WAKES UP” HERE
YOUNG FRIEND’S UPCOMING ALBUM, NEW ENTERTAINMENT, OUT NOVEMBER 6, 2026 VIA NETTWERK
‘THE HARD ROCK TOUR’ DATES IN VANCOUVER, TORONTO, LA, AND NYC, ARE ON SALE NOW
Photo Credit: Zachary Vague // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
Today, Vancouver indie songwriter Drew Tarves, aka young friend, shares “Michael Wakes Up,” the final single ahead of his forthcoming album, New Entertainment, due out November 6th via Nettwerk. Marking a pivotal leap in Tarves’ evolution as a songwriter, “Michael Wakes Up” trades singular narrative for a sprawling, vignette-style structure, weaving together the distinct, everyday realities of three separate characters navigating heartbreak, sudden fortune, and personal reinvention. This nuanced, empathetic storytelling mirrors the raw, unvarnished ethos of New Entertainment as a whole. Grounded in a live-off-the-floor, fully analog recording approach, the track captures human resilience in its purest form, celebrating the quiet, profound moments that define our shared existence. Director Zachary Vague expertly illustrates the slice-of-life energy in the accompanying music video.
Tarves elaborates: “Michael Wakes Up follows a number of characters that are all experiencing different realities in their lives. Michael being told by Shelly that she doesn’t love him any longer, John winning the lottery with his daughter's birthday as his numbers, Damien being let go from his company but continuing to do what he loves. These people are all experiencing their own beautiful stories.”
WATCH / SHARE “MICHAEL WAKES UP” HERE
BUY / STREAM “MICHAEL WAKES UP” HERE
“Michael Wakes Up” follows recent singles “Anything Anything” and “Miracle,” which will appear on the forthcoming full-length. Tarves brought the song structures into rehearsals, allowing the band to flesh out arrangements organically – resulting in a tactile sound that nods to classic influences like Wilco and Neil Young. The album was produced by Tarves’ longtime collaborator David Marinelli (FINNEAS, Wallice, spill tab), and the two recently connected for an artist-on-artist interview for Talkhouse.
young friend is excited to bring these songs to life on “The Hard Rock Tour,” which kicks off with a special hometown show in Vancouver on November 4th at The Hollywood Theatre, where fans can get a live glimpse of the new album ahead of its release. From there, young friend will head to Los Angeles with support from Marinelli, New York with support from Hana Eid, and Toronto, with support from Lia Pappas-Kemps. Find the full list of dates and details below!
BUY / STREAM “ANYTHING ANYTHING” HERE
LISTEN / SHARE “ANYTHING ANYTHING” HERE
ABOUT YOUNG FRIEND
Drew Tarves' music as young friend feels classic and immediate all at once, capturing the nostalgia of post-adolescence while diving deep into a pool of self-reflection. His sophomore album, New Entertainment, is about fear and love in equal measure. An exploration of the ways AI and new technology are infiltrating our lives, but also a celebration of friendship and family, and genuine time spent. Of the slow process, the inevitable mistakes.
A trained dancer for most of his adolescence, the 27-year-old Vancouver native switched artistic disciplines after spending time jamming with his musician friends. "I found out very quickly that I loved it," he recalls. "It was my favorite thing to do." Armed with a guitar and a laptop, Tarves started hashing out early songwriting attempts in GarageBand as he found his own style: "It was all about experimenting while trying to find what worked for me."
In 2022, Tarves released his indie-pop debut EP HOW DID WE GET HERE? and quickly followed it up with a sophomore in 2023 titled scaredy cat. 2024 brought in his first Canadian and international touring as well as a JUNO Award nomination. His debut full-length, motorcycle sound effects, was released in 2025. New Entertainment was recorded entirely in the studio, live off the floor. It’s solid, tactile, nostalgic in a way that hits you right in the chest.
A true rock record, New Entertainment is asking to be played on your old record player or the tape deck of Joni, Drew’s 2001 Mazda pickup.
WATCH / SHARE “MIRACLE” HERE
BUY / STREAM “MIRACLE” HERE
YOUNG FRIEND ‘THE HARD ROCK TOUR’ DATES:
November 4 – Vancouver, BC @ The Hollywood Theatre
November 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo LA with Marinelli
November 27 – New York, NY @ Nightclub 101 with Hana Eid
November 28 – Toronto, ON @ Baby G with Lia Pappas-Kemps
YOUNG FRIEND IN THE PRESS…
"...fuzzy, jangly and all kinds of refreshing, sauntering through glitzy indie-rock riffs and headstrong, energetic rhythms." – Paste Magazine
“His music breathes with the same effortless wit as his personality, laced with a conversational intimacy that mirrors the kind of ease you’d find in a late-night chat with a close friend.” – RANGE
"...young friend has established himself as a rising act in heartfelt pop, building an expansive sonic world brimming warm nostalgia and self-reflection."–EARMILK
"young friend keeps it casual and cheeky, but can’t help but charm listeners as the chorus melts into an earnest admission." – Ones to Watch
"One remarkable aspect of songwriting is the ability to paint a picture. It’s a rare talent, being able to use words to create a visceral image within the mind of a listener. With his slow-burn acoustic pop hits, young friends has mastered this art." – V Magazine
Album Art // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
NEW ENTERTAINMENT TRACK LIST
01 Hard Rock
02 Miracle
03 The Yard
04 Dad’s Garage
05 Grand Canyon
06 New Entertainment
07 2 Birds
08 Anything Anything
09 Everything The Light Touches
10 What’s Mine Is Yours
11 Michael Wakes Up
12 If You See It On The News