Friends Band was created in 2004 by three Brooklyn musicians, Daniel Weber, Jesse Ainslie, and Jeffrey Bailey.   Influenced by the Carter Family, Bob Dylan, The Band, as well as more recent artists like Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Friends Band makes music rooted in the rich tradition of American folk, country, and blues with rich harmonized vocals and forceful acoustic instrumental work.

Daniel Weber grew up in Amherst MA. He began playing the guitar at age 8. He studied with local guitar guru Doug Hewitt and spent time in high school composing jazz and working in Doug's studio Watercourse Recordings.    As a teenager, Daniel became interested in the music of the Grateful Dead.   Always curious about the roots of his favorite bands, the Dead led Daniel to the music of Bob Dylan, the Band, as well as Muddy Waters, and Van Morrison.   At Brown University, Daniel began playing music with Will Oldham collaborators Bob Arellano and Jodie Jean Marston in a variety of projects. After finishing school, Daniel moved to Brooklyn in October of 2003, to pursue music. Since arriving in New York, he has done sudio work with Lauryn Hill and Vasili Gavre, as well as played with local bands the Isles, and the Boy Bathing. In his spare time he teaches guitar lessons, runs a small recording studio (Friends Recordings).

Jesse Ainslie was born and raised in Chapel Hill, NC. The son of a blues musician and an energy healer, he was raised on Delta Blues and ragtime artists such as Rev. Gary Davis. His first instrument at the age of 6 was the ukelele. Through the influence of his parents, Jesse was raised on Woody Guthrie, the Beatles, Hendrix, Van Morrison, Smokey Robinson, Carol King, the Temptations, Bob Dylan, spanning the wide variety of 60's musical genres. In middle school, he got his start playing and singing in cover bands but soon graduated to composing and arranging for his high school jazz band and studying music theory. Influenced by the local music scene, and indie rock (Archers of Loaf, the Cold Sides, TNTP, Twelve Hour Turn, etc.), Jesse went on to form local favorites, Straight No Chaser (Trekky Records). After high school Jesse and Amos Fisher, of TNTP and the Vaudevillains started a band playing the music of iconic 80's film, Labyrinth. He moved to New York in 2002 to attend New School University and continue to pursue music. In addition to playing in the Friends Band, Jesse is currently working towards his bachelors degree in literature and politics at Eugene Lang College.