Fort Frances

At first glance, you probably wouldn’t know that Fort Frances is an independent band. Bands that do it all on their own aren’t typically the first to earn the praise of national radio outlets, prominent TV personalities and respected bloggers alike. They aren’t often the ones at the top of the “Bands You Need to Know Right Now” lists. You might not expect them to be turning heads at festivals across the country and earning comparisons to artists like Wilco, Ryan Adams and Modest Mouse. But this trio from Chicago has managed to check all these to-dos off their list while remaining independent in every sense of the word. They produce their own records. They book their own shows. They write their own expectations. In an uncertain music business, the band is making sure that they can continue to make music with heart on their own terms. Still, independence comes with a price tag. This sense of self-control can chip away at the most important element of any band: their ability to create. When the touring miles get longer and the business decisions get bigger, the songs somehow find their way into the backseat. “Breathing Room” captures the band as they push pause and return their creative energy to the steering wheel. As the band continues work on a full-length for the spring of 2014, this is an early glimpse of where they’re going. One thing is clear, too: the three voices behind Fort Frances are exploring new territory - territory where the edges are a bit rougher than their polished indie-folk past, where the volume knobs are a bit higher, where the newfound space leaves room for songs that will continue to make Fort Frances stand out in a landscape that used to be reserved for bands with big budgets and big names standing behind them.