Dan Wriggins, who heads up the very good Philadelphia band Friendship, is releasing two new solo songs today. “Dent” and “The Diner” were recorded late last year with help from Hour/Friendship’s Michael Cormier and Lina Tullgren. Both fit in with the sort of wry, laidback attitude that Wriggins has established with his main band and tackle feeling alienated and disillusioned with how we fit into the world at large.

“It’s just like you said/ Lifetime in the red,” Wriggins sings on “Dent,” resigning himself to an inevitability. “Paying down your debt/ Barely making a dent.” “The Diner” arrives with a video as well, directed by Wriggins and his brother Adam at their childhood home in Maine. Check out both songs below.

Here’s Wriggins’ full statement on the tracks:

Writing songs for Friendship, I would sometimes come up with one that felt more like a solo song and less like a band song. The distinction is blurry. I wrote ‘The Diner’ a couple years ago, and ‘Dent’ this summer. They are companions insofar as they both feature violin parts from the amazing Lina Tullgren, and they share three title letters.

The All Night Diner was a basement venue in Philly active around 2016-17 that my friends and I used to hang out at a lot. It was a special place. There was a nice porch and backyard, friendly people, and a lot of great shows. I don’t know whether I “took it for granted” or not. It probably helped me understand that a supportive scene and community doesn’t just happen, and I was lucky to be a part of that one. The song could also be about actual diners. My favorite is Annie’s in Worcester, MA.

I’m not sure where ‘Dent’ came from. I may have had Willie Nelson’s ‘Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning’ on the brain. Most of the song is typical blues about work sucking and feeling like a zombie. But the punchline is ‘oh and by the way, you leaving didn’t help.’ Peter Gill recorded the guitar part through his boombox, and gave me a tape with very loud hiss. He assured me it would sound good, and that ‘Keith Richards did it this way all the time.

“Dent” & “The Diner” are out now via Orindal Records.