Piebald 'We Are The Only Friends We Have'

Originally released in 2002, We Are the Only Friends We Have is the landmark third full-length from Piebald and one of the defining emo and indie-rock records of the early 2000s.

Now back on vinyl for the first time in more than 20 years, this edition has been completely remastered for vinyl by Jack Shirley at The Atomic Garden and features reconstructed artwork created from negatives of the original photo shoot, along with a new retrospective essay from the band.

Produced by Paul Q. Kolderie (Radiohead, Pixies, Dinosaur Jr.), We Are the Only Friends We Have captures Piebald at the height of their transition from the New England hardcore and post-hardcore underground into something unmistakably their own. Huge hooks, sharp humor, restless arrangements, and Travis Shettel’s deeply personal lyrics come together across songs like “American Hearts,” “Just a Simple Plan,” “King of the Road,” “Fear and Loathing on Cape Cod,” and “The Stalker.”

Formed in Andover, Massachusetts, Piebald emerged from the same Merrimack Valley scene that produced Converge and Cave In, carrying that DIY foundation into a sound that blended emo, post-hardcore, indie rock, and power-pop melody.

We Are the Only Friends We Have became the record that pushed Piebald to a much wider audience, with national radio play and tours alongside bands including Saves the Day, Glassjaw, Hey Mercedes, New Found Glory, RX Bandits, and Minus the Bear. More than two decades later, its mix of sincerity, humor, and enormous sing-along hooks remains central to the band’s legacy.