Berlin-based emo/screamo band Older Friends, built on the remnants of past projects and a shared frustration with stagnation, have taken a slow-burn approach to their sound. What started as a two-piece experiment between Bolko (guitar, vocals) and David (drums) evolved into something heavier, faster, and more urgent. Bianca, David’s partner, joined in later—first just to scream, then on bass, and finally as an integral part of the writing process.
Their debut full-length, No Drum Policy, is the culmination of that journey—a record that shifts between chaotic intensity and introspective twinkle, mirroring the band’s evolution from raw aggression to something sharper and more refined.
The album wears its influences openly, nodding to acts like Orchid, Jerome’s Dream, and Punch while keeping its feet planted in the tangled, twinkly complexity of modern midwest emo.
But Older Friends are carving out their own space, pushing their technical limits with every new song. “Every track stretches our capacity,” they explain. David was new to drums, Bianca had never played bass, and Bolko had yet to tap into the emo/screamo space. That learning curve gives No Drum Policy a restless energy—every track sounds like it’s reaching beyond itself, straining toward something bigger.