Friday Project Make a Splash with "Capitola Coast"

From the first shimmering guitar notes of “Capitola Coast,” you can tell Friday Project aren’t content to be just another teenage rock band.

The Oakville trio’s debut single is full of confidence and clarity of vision that feels rare for musicians still in high school. This is a song that is not just about a place - a real stretch of shoreline in Santa Cruz California, but a mood. It's that intoxicating mix of freedom and bittersweet nostalgia that hits you at the end of a perfect summer day.

The song’s origin story says a lot about how Friday Project operate. Drummer Aidan Girardo, inspired after Jack Galloway introduced him to Dominic Fike’s music, picked up a guitar and created a riff that felt like a beach scene in sound.

He sent it to Jack late one night, who immediately heard its potential. Within days, the band had fleshed out the concept, combining Jack’s lyrics and chorus with a rap-tinged second verse Aidan wrote, eventually blending the two parts into a seamless whole.

The name “Capitola Coast” came from Aidan’s own fascination with the colorful houses along the Santa Cruz coastline, a visual that perfectly mirrors the track’s bright yet wistful tone.

Sound wise, “Capitola Coast” feels like a deliberate step sideways from the heavier rock and pop-punk roots that Friday Project explored in their earliest jams.

Producer Geoff Hlibka encouraged the band to keep the raw energy intact while building a more groove-driven arrangement. Noah King’s bassline is a prime example of that shift. Originally conceived as a simple root-note foundation, it was transformed into a melodic hook that underpins the whole track with a warm bounce. That interplay between guitar, bass, and drums gives “Capitola Coast” an organic lift - unmistakably a band playing together in a room rather than a studio assembled track.

Jack taps into a universal teenage feeling: the thrill of discovering a place that feels like yours, and the quiet ache when you realize you can’t stay forever. Whether you picture a beach, a summer camp, or a fleeting vacation, the song captures that mix of elation and loss.

The recording process itself adds another layer to the song’s story. Instead of heading to a traditional studio, Friday Project tracked much of their debut album in Jack’s living room and basements around Oakville. This choice gives the music an immediacy and unvarnished charm.

You can hear the band’s teenage energy in the performances - that kind of high-octane enthusiasm that’s hard to fake or bottle later in a career. It also allowed spontaneous ideas to bloom. Jack has said that being surrounded by his own gear at home sparked unplanned guitar parts and textures they wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.

If “Capitola Coast” is the opening statement, it suggests Friday Project’s forthcoming album will be full of surprises.

They are not afraid to blend genres, slip in a rap verse or pivot from pop to rock within a single track. Yet for all its experimentation, “Capitola Coast” still feels cohesive, and it's anchored by the trio’s tight playing and youthful chemistry. It’s the sound of a band who know who they are but haven’t stopped exploring.

About Friday Project

Friday Project are a teenage rock trio based in Oakville, Ontario, with zero rules and all the guts.

Fueled by loud guitars, late-night jam sessions and friendship, Jack Galloway (vocals/guitar), Aidan Girardo (drums) and Noah King (bass) have been making music together since grade school.

At just 16, they’ve written, recorded and produced their debut album in living rooms and basements, proving you don’t need a professional studio to create something that hits.

Their sound blends gritty riffs, sharp hooks and genre bending influences from artists like Dominic Fike, Blink-182 and The Headstones. “Capitola Coast,” their debut single, shows a more pop-leaning vibe while retaining the raw energy and honesty that make Friday Project stand out.

Find out more about Friday Project on the Website

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