This Saturday, the indie rock winds will blow into Cedarburg as Fort Frances takes the center stage at the Cedarburg Cultural Center. Fort Frances is an indie rock trio whose progression of music in recent years makes them one of the more exciting and riveting acts on the scene today. The trio consisting of Aaron Kiser (drums, percussion and vocals), David McMillin (guitars and vocals) and Jeff Piper (bass and vocals) have had an interesting journey as musicians.
Their first full length record The Atlas came out in 2011 and generated considerable attention from noteworthy musicians, including Adam Duritz (singer-songwriter of Counting Crowes) who, along with prominent music blogger Ryan Spaulding of “Ryan’s Smashing Life,” featured the trio as part of their “Outlaw Roadshow” showcase at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas. Durwitz was quoted saying that, “Fort Frances blew me away-- song after killer song.”
Not too long after that, the band recorded an unusual cover of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince’s 1991 classic, “Summertime,” stipping down the song and performing the melody on piano. In addition to the cover, the band released a catchy music video which featured Kiser, McMillan and Piper dressed in NBA jerseys with a boombox, cassette tapes and basketballs. This video caught the attention of comedian David Tosh who featured the group on his popular Tosh.0 Comedy Central show. The musically engaging remake of “Summertime,” coupled with the fun and campy video created a viral reaction. As of today, Fort Frances “Summertime” cover has more than 1,150,000 views!
In the years that followed, Fort Frances continued to grow their fan base, releasing a series of EPs, each of which was better than it’s predecessor. Harbour was released in 2013, along with Breathing Room, which featured “Plastic Hearts,” one of the band’s most recognizable hits. 2015 brought us No One Needs to Know Our Name, Fort Frances’s most artistically adventurous set of songs yet. Along with these releases, the band continued to expand their touring-- including, most recently, a successful run opening for Langhorn Slim and the Law, which brought Fort Frances to the Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee this past fall. In addition, Fort Frances has made a name for themselves in Appleton, playing the “Mile of Music” festival the past two years. Last summer’s show saw them drawing a beyond capacity crowd, where fans were huddled on sidewalks near the venue to hear their set.
While Fort Frances was crafting great songs, touring rigorously and progressing their craft from an Americana act (in the style of early Wilco and Ryan Adams), to a tightly-woven innovative modern rock outfit, the “Summertime” video was taking on a life of its own, and not only in the United States. In fact, it was most popular in Lithuania of all places! Thanks to Internet reaction and positive feedback, Fort Frances was invited to perform at the premier music festival in Lithuania, the “Loftas Fest,” last summer. This experience was a transformative one for the band, who has named its first full length record in five years, Alio, which means “hello” in Lithuanian. Alio is set to be released early next month. I recently had the chance to catch up with David McMillin who shared his thoughts about Fort Frances headlining the Cedardburg Cultural Center.
1) What type of show are listeners going to see when they come to the Cedarburg Cultural Center this Saturday night?
This show is going to be a really special evening. We’ve been gearing up for the release of our new record, so this show will include some never-before-played songs. And of course, we’ll also be pulling from our last few releases, too. We haven’t been playing live much since last year, so we’re really looking forward to stretching our creative boundaries again. Also, if I remember correctly, I’ve played at the Cedarburg Cultural Center solo, many years ago, and the venue is pretty intimate. That’s our favorite kind of venue.
2) You are a band that continues to evolve... how would you describe your evolution as a group of musicians?
We’re always aiming to push the songs into new territory. We really started out wearing some Americana shoes — very much in the vein of Ryan Adams and early Wilco. It certainly feels different today than when we started working on our first record in 2009. I don’t think it’s been a conscious-let’s-do-something-different mindset; it’s really always been about answering one question: how can we constantly keep ourselves inspired? So, when we started working on this new record, I think one of my main personal priorities was to shape these songs into something that didn’t necessarily fit into our preconceived notion of what “Fort Frances” should sound like.
I think that’s paying off live, too. We’ve been playing with a fourth member — Jason Ryan — and the addition of a versatile piano/guitar player is opening doors for new directions on stage. I’m looking forward to seeing how playing out this spring and upcoming summer will continue to push us further.
3) You have drawn large crowds in Milwaukee in previous appearances. Can you comment on what it's like to play in Milwaukee?
I call Milwaukee my City of Dreams. It’s an incredible place. The people are so welcoming, and the beer is so great. We’ve created a lot of memories over the past five years, and some of our favorites are in Milwaukee including a rain-soaked Bastille Days 2014 and our fall 2015 show at Turner Hall opening for Langhorne Slim. Milwaukee never disappoints.
4) Along those same lines- what’s the best gig and worst gig you've ever performed at?
Best gig: Loftas Fest in Vilnius, Lithuania last summer. It was so rewarding to explore a new country and get to share our music with fans far from home.
Worst gig: You know, I don’t know if we have a “worst” gig. We always find something to love when we’re on stage. I’d say one of the toughest was when we were scheduled to open for Gomez in Indianapolis. We drove down to Indiana, super excited to share the stage with one of our favorite bands. When we arrived, we found out their bus had broken down, and they wouldn’t be coming to the show.
5) The village of Cedarburg is most well known in Southeastern Wisconsin for its quaint ambiance and its Strawberry Festival in late June/early July. What is your favorite strawberry-based product?
Bud Light Straw-Ber-Rita.
Actually, I’ve never had a Bud Light Straw-Ber-Rita, and it sounds horrible. I like chocolate-covered strawberries.
I also like the song Strawberry Fields Forever.
I also just Googled “strawberry” and discovered that there is a horror movie called “Strawberry.” The reviews are not good.
Fort Frances performs at the Cedarburg Cultural Center on Saturday, March 12th with Will Pfrang kicking off the night at 7:30. Tickets are $16 in advance and $18 the day of the show.
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