According to No Plan
by Lorne Behrman
On the exhilarating folk-rock song, “According To No Plan,” Blonde & Grey singer-songwriter Neil Friend sings:
Sometimes I feel I must be lead
in life by someone’s hand
The subjectiveness that we possess
is much to understand
And I’m drifting through the universe
according to no plan.
Friend’s words here—some of which were written over 40 years ago—prophetically and poetically describe his journey in music.
These days, Friend has returned back to his music career after decades away, and he’s making up for lost time by writing prolifically, juggling multiple projects.
“According To No Plan” is from the sophomore album,
Drifting Through The Universe, with his duo, Blonde & Grey, which also features flutist and vocalist Kathy Olsen.
The 11-song collection finds the Danbury, Connecticut-based twosome revisiting a few songs from Neil’s youth alongside newly written tracks. It’s an artistic offering that intriguingly connects life phases separated by upwards of 50 years.
“We don’t know where we are going—there doesn't seem to be a plan,” Friend marvels. “One day I’m playing in a band at CBGBs, and then 40 years later I’m playing wineries with Kathy and releasing our second album. I still feel the same about music, but my knees just hurt more when lugging equipment.”
Friend is a freewheeling creative who, along with Olsen, has cultivated an uplifting and heartfelt musical sensibility that defies genre, era, and distinct influences.
Blonde & Grey draws from the optimism of 1960s folk and rock; the introspection of the 1970s Laurel Canyon singer-songwriters; and the urgent tunefulness of 1980s new wave and 1990s alt-rock.
The duo have defined roles and an intuitive creative flow within Blonde & Grey. Friend is the primary songwriter and lead singer, and he’s a clever and supportive rhythm guitarist and a lyrical lead player.
Olsen contributes virtuosic flute playing, sumptuous harmonies, and emotive lead singing to Blonde & Grey, and her imprint on Friend’s songs is so strong that he often gives her a writing credit.
“She’s a real musician,” he says. “She can read and write music, and play complex parts flawlessly. She also plays piccolo, clarinet, and saxophone. She adds so much to my songs.”
Olsen has been playing the flute since she was 9, she’s a former high school music teacher, and she regularly performs with local orchestras. Legend goes, she showed up to a jam session Friend was playing at, fired off an impromptu flute solo over The Beatles’ “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away,” impressing everyone within earshot.
Blonde & Grey previously issued the critically-acclaimed
Face The Music, which garnered rave reviews from Melody Maker Magazine, IndiePulse Music, and The Mob’s Press, among other outlets.
Blonde & Grey music is available only on CD or on their website, and the band also has merch offerings. [note: new singles are being released regularly and streaming on most platforms]
Outside of Blonde & Grey, Friend leads the group Long Time Friend, which released its debut in 2016, and is also a part of the ensemble Small Noise.
Music has been woven into the fabric of Friend’s life for a long time. He started in high school tinkering with reel to reel recording with a friend and future bandmate. The two later formed a new wave band, Yap Yap Research, that became regulars in the CBGBs scene of the early 1980s. In fact, CBGB founder Hilly Kristal was a fan of the band. Unfortunately, a close friend and bandmate tired of the grind and quit, and when he left, so did Friend.
Through the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, Friend found himself playing songs for his dogs. “They never complained,” he quips. In 2012, he fell into playing and songwriting in a collaborative setting after discovering a nearby coffee shop jam.
When his family relocated, he started a similar jam session in the Danbury, Connecticut area. That gathering has now been going on for 10 years, and it is where Olsen and Friend met.
The pair made their creative partnership official after performing at open mics.
"... Drifting Through The Universe
is an album that’s well worth the journey..."
-IndieShark Magazine