With their fourth album Friends, White Lies haven't so much abandoned their trademark synth-rock sound as given it a spring clean by exploring new sounds. For many reasons, it felt like a fresh start. The trio were temporarily without a label after a bout of record company reorganization. Rather than re-sign straight away, they decided to start Friends under their own steam without the pressure of a deadline or a budget, or even the guidance of a producer. Friends was recorded in Bryan Ferry's private studio in London's Olympia and was self-produced by the band. White Lies enlisted the help of an expert team including Grammy Award-winning engineer James Brown (Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys), David Wrench (Caribou, FKA twigs) on mixing duties and long-term collaborator Ed Buller who contributed additional production.