Friend of All the World

As their name suggests, Montreal indie-folk outfit Friend of All the World craft tunes that evoke the camaraderie of a kitchen party or the fellowship that springs up between strangers who meet on the road. Perhaps that’s because songwriter and front man, Rob Cole, employed a hitchhiker’s optimism and an ad on Craigslist to assemble the band. Friend’s 2009 debut, Up These Branches, was largely a solo effort by Cole, released in the hopes of attracting like-minded musicians with his haunting harmonies and rustic acoustic riffs.