Brighton punks return with a banger of a follow-up album!
From the UK’s sunny south coast, Making Friends are a Skate-punk band who formed back in 2020. I have seen this band many times, including at the Shadow Shuffle 3 gig in Reading on my 30th birthday. I have just recently seen them play again on 17th July in Reading at The Castle Tap and what an absolutely sick gig that was! And of course, I bought their new album ‘Home Is Where The Heart Was’ on vinyl there.
Meet Making Friends:
Ryan Mansell – Lead vocals and guitar
Bill Laken – Bass and vocals
Dan Farrell – Guitar
Pete Thomas – Drums and vocals
Ryan was previously in Fastfade, Dan and Pete were both previously in Indoor Swimming, and Bill is currently in other bands The Meantime Collective and KNOFX.
Making Friends are releasing ‘Home Is Where The Heart Was’ via all streaming platforms on 30th July 2026 with 14 incredible tracks. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Daly George. This release is an international collaboration with support from Cat’s Claw Records (UK), Punk Rock Radar (USA), Bearded Punk Records (EU), Pee Records (Australia), High End Denim Records (Canada), and Waterslide Records (Japan).
Making Friends released the first single from the album, ‘Suck Brick, Kid’, on 31st March 2026:
Second single, ‘Billboard Town’, released on 25th April 2026 and features Ryan’s wife Austeja Lasaite:
Third single, ‘Blabber Blabber’, released on 13th May 2026:
Fourth single ‘Lifeboat’ released on 5th June 2026 on all streaming platforms but has no video.
Fifth single ‘Anyway’ officially released on 19th June 2026, however the video was released the day before as a little treat for us all:
And finally, their latest single ‘Gut Feeling’ released on 3rd July 2026:
What a banger!! I am impressed with ‘Home Is Where The Heart Was’. Proper skate-punk at its finest! Insane and powerful guitar riffs, killer basslines, impressively fast hard-hitting drum beats, melodic and raw vocals, what more could you ask for?! This band never disappoints me, always releasing incredibly catchy tracks you can easily sing along to and have a dance! Some of these tracks I have heard being played live; Making Friends energy on stage is amazing and I always enjoy watching them. However, hearing the tracks actually recorded is such a fun experience!
You can tell that Making Friends have worked so hard on this album, showing such high-energy, emotion, and passion throughout. They remind me of a mix of Green Day and NOFX, which is obviously a compliment! ‘Home Is Where The Heart Was’ keeps you hooked and you automatically want to play it over and over again!
This whole album is definitely a new favourite of the year! I will be listening to ‘Home Is Where The Heart Was’ on repeat for the foreseeable! Absolutely sick as fuck! Get your copy on vinyl, CD or cassette from HERE and on digital download from HERE
Catch Making Friends live in 2026:
Aug 23 – The Hope & Ruin, Brighton, UK
Oct 8 – Signature Brew Haggerston, London, UK
Oct 9 – The Prince Albert, Brighton, UK
Nov 28 – Castle Tap, Reading, UK
Main Photo Credit: CAMERON
- Suck Brick, Kid
- Billboard Town
- Anyway
- Cosy
- Gut Feeling
- Lifeboat
- Blabber Blabber
- Home is Where the Heart Was
- Weatherboy
- Paper Mache Mannequin
- Danger Close
- Where Do My Feet Go
- Stab Wound
- Spinning Around the Sun
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I’ve been going to gigs since I was 18 years old, and have loved them ever since. They are my second home. I enjoy discovering new bands, meeting punks of different ages, and learning more about the scene. I sing, play guitar, and learning the drums. Punk for life!
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
