QUEENS, NY – 2025/09/14 09:43:13 – james K, perched cross-legged in her Ridgewood, Queens, apartment, recounts her time at the Rhode Island School of Design. With her cat pingu nestled in her lap, she reflects on how academic explorations of “pedagogy,” “access points,” and “finding your narrative” shaped her 2022 sound-collage album, Random Girl.

“People were really pushing more abstraction, go deeper, get weirder, get weirder,” she recalls, leaning back on a plush ottoman. “I had to take a step back and think Where do I want to go moving forward?”

For Jamie Krasner, the artist behind james K, “more direct” translates to embracing pop sensibilities. Her new album, friend, released September 5, isn’t a complete departure, but it showcases her most emotionally resonant songwriting to date. tracks like “Hypersoft Lovejinx Junkdream” and “Blinkmoth (July Mix)” evoke vivid imagery of heartbreak and longing thru a blend of trip hop, dream pop, and shoegaze influences. The albumS standout track, “Play,” builds into a euphoric jungle climax, featuring the memorable lyric: “Hold on for life.”

Krasner, who honed her craft in the N.Y.C. underground scene after growing up in upstate New York, aims to create music that acts as a “wave of emotion,” fostering connection and community both on and off the dance floor.friend, a collaborative effort with artists from Montreal and New york City, represents the culmination of this vision, setting a new standard for pop albums in 2025.

Krasner discusses her recognition for addison Rae, the importance of community in music, the move away from individual-centric pop, and her optimism for new york City’s nightlife.