The resurgence of alternative flavor injected into the underground scene has pretty much coincided with the 2010s' nostalgia for the 1990s and now the early 2000s because nostalgia only has a lifespan of 20 years, once something reaches 30 it’s old news. I see kids at shows wearing baggy Dickies, XL shirts, stocking caps, and I’ve even seen Osiris D3’s making a comeback. As much as this horrifies me I can’t deny the underground culture is drawing some keen inspiration from the culture I grew up in and the soundtracks they’re providing hit the nail on the head.
New Hampshire’s FFO: Chillin have that 2000s skate video aesthetic down pat with their fuzzed out guitar riffs and rabid hardcore sensibilities. All the best alternative bands right now come from the hardcore scene, it’s just a rule at this point. The project started in late 2023 as a side gig for Zaq (who does bass and vocals) and Parker (on guitar) from Sophisticated Adult. They kicked things off by sharing "phone demos" with each other before teaming up with Martin and Matty "The Squirrel Rat" Wilcox to lay down some tracks.
Living up to their name, the band had no plans of getting out and playing shows even when they went in to record these demos, they just wanted to hang out and try something new. When you have a name like FFO: Chillin you’re already establishing a reputation to live up to and not only do they live by it but treat it as a moral code in both their music and performances.
Starting out playing basement shows and blasting out tunes that sounded geared for lounging on the couch with a few six packs and your closest friends and when boredom set in you hit up a local show. “If you ever see us not chillin’ then you can consider this band over and done with” guitarist Parker boldly stated.
Their debut EP, Just Chillin, showcased their leisurely attitude with heaving guitar riffs that blast out some energetic punk chords to get the energy going but then move over to bring in some more lush elements in their sound. These more tranquil moments in songs like “All the Time” and “Geographic” remind me of skating the beach in Wollaston or Nantasket, stopping at Tony’s for a box of clams and onion rings then finding a nice spot to perch me and my brown bagged malt liquor to chill the day away.
Talking about their influences revealed some interesting insights into their sound, early on they drew from a list of bands not many have actually mentioned to me before, diving into garage rock, rap rock and indie punk for good measure. “I really fuck with the Transplants and The Garden is probably one of my favorite bands and I know Zaq really likes them as well," Parker explained. "I like a lot of garage rock, too, like Thee Oh Sees and I’m really into electronic music too so I try to pull from everywhere."
Hearing that the band was influenced by The Transplants perked my ears up quite a bit considering it wasn’t a band I’d thought of upon first listen but in hindsight I now hear that bands influence in their approach to this music. While they might get lumped into the slowcore or grungy shoegaze stuff that’s popular now, at their core FFO: Chillin is a punk band, they utilize those heaving downtuned guitars to create punk anthems in a way none of their contemporaries attempt. The Transplants took the same approach, nothing they did sounded like any other band. “I love bands that don’t fit into any genre, they take a bunch of things they’re influenced by and mix them together and create their own sound. Transplants took punk, ska and hip-hop and made a ton of bangers and even got a shampoo commercial out of it,” Zaq elaborated.
Continuing this approach with their music in 2025, FFO: Chillin played numerous shows in and around New England alongside acts such as Edict, Cooked, Sowing, Jackal and Word For Word and found time to record new music. Dropping the single “Net Worth” in August they caught my attention with a slightly more melodic approach on the track and the opening lyric “I don’t think I’ll die with a net worth” really spoke to me. It’s a somber track lyrically about our generation's slow descent into poverty yet the music and the way Zaq sings feels somewhat cheerful. He elaborated on the delivery of such topics stating “As fucked up as things get we always wanted this band to sound fun. We just want to have a good time and so does everyone else so whatever we write about we’re gonna make it sound like a good time.”
A couple months later and the band has dropped their second EP, Infinite Grind Cheat. The record shows a further progression in their sound and dedication to the slacker lifestyle. Still keeping it loose with many moments of lush, pondering guitars they keep up the dour lyrical topics while still making it sound fun. “Tragic” in particular describes this ethos through slow and thick riffage which toward its end drops the MPH down into the single digits. “Got a friend who couldn’t hack it, got a nasty coke habit. God I’m acting like a rabbit” Zaq croons at the end of the track.
Probably the most energetic track on the EP is the equally dour yet musically cheerful “Off The Junk” which sounds like a downtuned FIDLAR track from when they were still doing coke off their guitar necks at shows. The rhythms sound like they're charging through a swampy lagoon but still allowing the kids to get a good two step in. Probably the most punk influenced track off the EP. The band even released a video for this track shot by video and skate crew Company Car.
“Plate” is a track where upon first listen I heard some of that modern grunge sound come in with the fuzzing guitar opening and somber vocal delivery from Zaq. It sounds a lot like a track Soul Blind would have put on their EP, Third Chain. Zaq admits that the band doesn’t actually take influence bands of that ilk typically pull from, their influences lie elsewhere. “People have pointed out that some of it sounds like that one song that goes like ‘She thinks she missed the train to Mars, she’s out back counting stars’… Hum! And like yeah that song’s alright I guess but my writing process is more geared towards hardcore. Some stuff from Cold World I dug from along with The White Stripes and the bluesy stuff from The Black Keys,” Zaq explained.
The track “Moment” is another example of dashing expectations as it starts off very slow but soon builds into what I like to call “Action packed riffs” because they sound like they could soundtrack the sickest action movie fight scene. It’s right after the one minute mark and it kicks so much ass as it should considering they continue to play with some of the heaviest hardcore bands in our scene. This track lives up to what Zaq described as their “Chillin’ slammers because they hit hard but we’re still just chillin’.”
Overall, Infinite Grind Cheat feels like the band has truly arrived at a sound and method they feel confident in as they walk their own path in the alternative world. It’s got killer experimentation for the established alt rockers to ponder over but it’s always gonna have the hardcore crowd in mind. Each song sounds like they are fighting off the responsibilities and pressures of the rat race we call society by simply dismissing it all, their world is one where we can all just chill and remain satisfied with what’s in front of us.
With the EP now out FFO: Chillin will be playing numerous shows in promotion of the record; playing their release show with The Blind, Louzy, Two Thousands and Fun City Fun Club at Wow Pool Hall in their hometown of Concord, NH on November 29th. They have announced other shows around the New England area listed below:
Dec. 4th @ Alchemy, Providence, RI w/ Last Words.
Dec. 5th @ The Loading Dock, Littleton, NH w/ Alchemy, Sowing & Sue.
Dec. 7th @ Geno’s Portland, ME w/ Fiddlehead, Corrective Measure & Quick to Judge.
Feb. 6th @ The Bungalow, Manchester, NH w/ Headcase, Zinc, Cooked, Uponbrokenapologies & Wise Choice
This EP has geared FFO: Chillin up for a big year in 2026, a true test to their chilling abilities as they assure they are cooking up “Even weirder songs for the full length” hoping to drop later in the year. They are also looking to take their performances out of New England and hit up other parts of the country but nothing is confirmed as of yet.
The band is also planning on doing physical releases for Infinite Grind Cheat in the near future so check back on their socials for any updates. For now go spin the new EP a few times and take notes from some professionals on how to chill out to some good music every once in a while, it might do us all some good.
FFO: Chillin would like to shout out: Evan Warren, Stack House Studios, s.c.o.b.y., Jackal, Cooked, Clock Out, Wisdom & War, Hard Target, Fun City Fan Club and Sowing.
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FFO: Chillin on social media: Instagram
Tagged: ffo: chillin, sophisticated adult
