Secretly Group confirms Friends Of series, releases new Ryan Hemsworth single "Keep Touch"

Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar and Dead Oceans, the labels that make up Secretly Group, have announced Friends Of, a series of special LP and EP releases from artists across the labels including Gia Margaret, Theophilus London, Bullion, Devendra Banhart and Noah Georgeson, Julie Byrne and Trayer Tryon, and others.

The first release of the Friends Of series is Ryan Hemsworth's new single "Keep Touch", which features BADBADNOTGOOD's Leland Whitty. It also arrives with the announcement of Hemsworth's new EP Pout.

Hemsworth says of his EP, "For this EP I was trying to live less in nostalgia and function less off obvious references. I worked on Pout while becoming a dad, sitting a lot in my garden, and trying to kill my ego. Tracks like "Mountain Access" make me think about driving around Hamilton, Ontario, my home as of a year ago. I hope people can still get a chance to walk around with this on headphones or daydream while listening to this project."

Jon Coombs, Secretly Group VP of A&R, says of the series, "Music and friendship have always been inextricable. Our favorite records and artists are like dependable, empathetic friends themselves: helping us through tough times, cheering us through bright ones, amping us up or calming us down. The right song can remind us that it’s only half an inch of water when we think we’re going to drown. Across the board, we are better when we surround ourselves with friends that inspire and enrich us, and the artists taking part do exactly that. And so Friends Of is also an extension of this sentiment. We're happy to call these artists friends, some old and some new, and are excited to help bring their art to the world. We hope you enjoy and make a new friend along the way."