Friko plays songs to get you through

The backstory: Kapetan met bandmates Luke Stamos (bassist) and Bailey Minzenberger (drummer) when they all attended Evanston Township High School.

• The teens compiled enough songs to produce a debut album, Burnout Beautiful, before graduation.

The sound: Sparse arrangements of aching folk and urgent indie rock that grew out of Kapetan's affection for the Velvet Underground, Elliot Smith and Leonard Cohen.

• "I also grew up on a lot of the '70s soft rock from my parents," Kapetan tells Axios. "So I love the effortless pop of groups like Fleetwood Mac and ELO."
• While "In and Out" explodes with breathy pop energy, "One to One" channels the breezy melancholy of Nick Drake.

Fun fact: As a teen, Kapetan worked with children as a babysitter and after-school counselor for kindergartners.

• "I love working with kids because they have some of that same spirit I feel when I'm playing music," he says.

Local dish: Kapetan does a lot of eating in Rogers Park.

• "My faves are BopNGrill and the Crazy Greek on Sheridan. I literally eat from one of those places almost every night."

What's next: Friko plays an all-ages concert this Monday, Feb. 14, at the Beat Kitchen to celebrate their new single "In and Out."

• "I hope anyone who comes feels a sense of joy and relief in spite of the rough Chicago winter," Kapetan says. "These songs have helped me a lot the past couple of months so I hope they can help others as well."