Interview: Fort @ ArcTanGent
Fort by Jez Pennington
We caught up with Fort at the 10th anniversary of ArcTanGent Festival, where they made a strong impression with their dynamic blend of post-rock, metal, and dance influences. The band members were thrilled to discuss their first-ever ATG performance, sharing how their varied tastes shape their distinctive sound. From their recent EP release to their deep dive into Tarot-themed visuals, Fort continues to push boundaries and explore new creative territories.
In our chat, they opened up about their evolving music style, the thrill of performing alongside some of their biggest influences, and what fans can expect from their next album. Here’s what they had to say about their journey and what's next for the band.
We just caught your set and loved it! How was the experience for you?
Gavin: Best thing I ever done. I was smiling the entire time.
You all seemed to be having a great time.
Gavin: Yeah, there were a couple of moments where I was focusing so much on playing drums, trying to get the parts right. But when I had a break, I’d look up and be in disbelief at how many people had come to see us. Not only that, but they stayed, which was special. You know, you get people floating in and out of stages, thinking, "Oh, this isn't for me," which I understand, but this was different. Especially that early on.
Is this your first time at ATG?
Craig: First time playing, yes. But I think Matt’s been to almost all of them.
Matt: I've been to every single ATG except one year. I was here at the very first ATG, but I missed 2017, which I'm still having FOMO over.
Craig: It’s our first time playing, though. And like many bands who play here, we know how much ATG means to the genre. So, yeah, we were incredibly grateful for the opportunity.
And on the 10-year anniversary, too?
Craig: Right. And for us, with bands like Mogwai, Caspian, and And So I Watch You From Afar on the bill, it's incredible. It's possibly the most post-rock-heavy lineup it's been in a while. So, for us to be first on the stage today... It was insane.
Matt: We can now say that we opened for Caspian right?
You totally can! Speaking of Caspian, would you say they’re an influence on your sound? I get those vibes when I listen to you. Who else influences your music?
Gavin: We have a massive mix of influences that we all bring to the table, which we reinterpret into our own style. Craig's really into post-hardcore and heavier stuff, like Every Time I Die, Glassjaw, Deftones.
Craig: Yeah, those bands were huge for me. But I marry that with a huge love for Sigur Rós and Caspian, so we've got some chunkier moments that come from that.
Matt: Talking of Sigur Rós we both have Sigur Rós tattoos, so it's obviously they are a massive influence on us. My music taste is pretty eclectic. I listen to a lot of post-rock and similar genres, but I come from a math rock background with a touch of jazz—almost like trying to be a jazz band without quite having the chops for it. I’m also into some really weird electronic stuff, which doesn't exactly fit with post-rock or what we do with Fort, but those influences still find their way into our music. Some of our tracks have these heavy, four-on-the-floor beats, and we've tried to get people dancing—even though that's not easy with post-rock. I think we've managed to pull it off a few times.
Gavin: Yeah, that's where I came in with the lick for "Ouroboros." I'm into dance music as well as metal and post-rock, so I like to mix things up. When people say, "Oh, I listen to anything," I actually do—I genuinely listen to everything. "Ouroboros" drew some inspiration from dance artists like Fatboy Slim, but then we adapted it to fit our own style, blending those different influences.
You get such a rich sound by listening to a diverse mix. I’m a jazz singer but love Caspian too. We embrace all influences—no guilty pleasures here! I rocked a Shania Twain shirt all weekend.
Matt: Totally love that.
Fort by Jez Pennington
You had a single out in July, and you then released your EP this week. Can you tell me about that?
Craig: Yeah, we did! We released a single, "Three of Swords," in July, followed by two more tracks this Monday. We also did a limited run of physical CDs as an ATG exclusive at the Merch Center. We wanted to make the most of the opportunity and align our release with the festival. We were already working on new music, and when we got the offer to play, we thought, "Why not do something cool and get it out there?" It seems to have gone over well. In fact, we opened our set today with the two main songs from that EP.
So you were working on an album and got really excited when you got the ATG offer?
Craig: That’s what happened.
Matt: Exactly. We got the email to play ATG, and we thought, "We should release something just ahead of it." So now, we've got to write more music to fill the album out.
For anyone just discovering you or picking up that EP, what are you working on next? What can we expect from a full album?
Craig: We have a lot of ideas coming together, and we’re having more conversations about our direction. Realistically, our plan is to spend the latter half of this year just writing together. We’ve already released a double A-side and two EPs, and now we have a third EP. So, we really want to focus on writing a full album. The ideas we’re exploring now feel more expansive and connected, like they belong together as a complete piece. Ideally, we’re aiming to record in the first quarter or first half of next year, and we want the album to be a cohesive composition, not just a collection of songs.
Matt: Yeah, more like a journey from start to finish. We’re experimenting with different instrumentation as well. Our recent release included a piano track with no drums, all written by me. We worked collaboratively to make it fit the Fort style. It was quite different for us.
Gavin: With our release on Monday, we included a piano track that has no drums at all. The piano was entirely written by Matt, and we worked collaboratively to make it fit the Fort sound. It was definitely an interesting process.
Matt: Yeah, it was very different for us. At its core, Fort is a rock band with no vocals, so creating a piece with strings and piano was quite a departure. We weren't sure how it would be received, but people seem to be responding well to it—even more than our other tracks so far, which is interesting. It might be a direction we explore further. That said, we also love experimenting with really heavy stuff. So, our future music will probably span a wide spectrum, from sombre and delicate to really heavy.
Your single was called "Three of Swords." I hear that title and start thinking about Tarot cards. Is that where the theme comes from? Is that going to feature throughout?
Gavin: I'm absolutely obsessed with the art of Tarot. In fact, the very first T-shirt I designed for us featured the Tower Tarot card. It’s great to see some people here today wearing that original design. I love collecting different Tarot decks just to see the variety in the artwork. I even have a few horror-themed decks, which are really cool. I'm fascinated by how each artist interprets the cards differently.
For "Three of Swords," we drew inspiration from the card's meaning—it’s considered the saddest and most "emo" card in the suit, which fit perfectly with what we wanted to convey in the song. The track itself starts off intense and in-your-face but then transitions into quieter, more reflective moments. It aligns with the whole EP's theme, which tells the story of a tortured soul's journey from losing someone they love, through grief and denial, to acceptance and salvation. I designed the artwork to capture this middle phase—you can see the castle and the Tower Tarot card in the clouds in the distance, symbolizing that journey.
Matt: Yeah, that was my idea. I was like, "We need to put that back in."
Gavin: And you were right! It’s like starting the Fort MCU.
Matt: We need T-shirt lore and all that.
Gavin: And the skeletons in the design represent denial and grief. One of them is even named Daniel. When we played, I had Daniel on my guitar, too. It’s just something I love incorporating into our work. I might push these ideas on the guys a bit too much sometimes, but they’re great about letting me do my thing, which is nice.
So, are the themes you’ve explored in your art and music going to continue, or are you heading in a new direction?
Matt: I think we’re closing the chapter on those themes. The new album will take a completely different direction in terms of ideas and themes. We've explored the Tarot concept for a while, and it was great, but it's run its course. Now, we're excited to explore fresh ideas and new inspirations.
Gavin: Yeah, it's time to set the Tarot aside. It’s had its moment.
When might we expect to see this new direction come to fruition?
Matt: Don't expect anything too soon.
Craig: I think, realistically, we're looking at recording in the first half of next year. So, for now, it seems like 2025 probably won't see any new music from us. We released an EP in 2023, and while it might sound a bit pessimistic, we're thinking the next release—maybe a single or something else—could be in early 2026. There's something we're considering, but we're not ready to talk about it yet. The album will likely come after that.
Fort by Jez Pennington
What else do you have going on this year? Any more shows, festivals, or events?
Craig: Honestly, no. We had a good run leading up to ArcTanGent, including a three-day tour with Dinner Celestial Birds and Ranges from the States. We also played shows with Hidden Mothers and Copse this year. Also our 2023 was pretty busy, but we were saying that we usually only get together when there's a show coming up, and it's always like, "Oh, we've got to rehearse for the next show." So, we're actually looking forward to having some time just to be in a room writing, really dedicating ourselves to that. The latter half of this year will be all about getting back to the craft of making new music.
Is there anyone here at ATG that you were hoping to see?
Matt: ATG is such a busy festival; you can walk into any tent and find a phenomenal band playing. I’ve seen some incredible acts here. Sometimes we all go together to catch a band, and other times we split up to see different ones we each prefer. Today, I'm really excited to see Mogwai again. I’ve seen them before at probably the largest gig I've ever been to—my ears were ringing, even with earplugs, which has never happened to me before. Caspian is another band I’m looking forward to, especially since we technically opened for them. We also caught And So I Watch You From Afar, and VASA, who were fantastic.
Then there was Explosions in the Sky. It was an hour and 20-minute set, slow and powerful, so I brought my camping chair and set it up right in the middle of the arena. I just sat there the whole time, soaking it in, and it was absolutely magical—one of the best experiences I've ever had. I won’t let anyone judge me for sitting down during their set; it's honestly the best way to experience their music. Everyone should just relax and enjoy the moment with them.
Totally agree our mate said the only thing missing was a starry night.
Matt: Yeah, some shooting stars during Explosions would have been perfect. I don't think anything could have topped that.
Craig: I think collectively, if I had to pick one band, we're all really looking forward to Caspian.
I'll be there staking out my spot in the front.
Craig: You’ll definitely see us there.
So what are you listening to?
Matt: Don't ask me that!
Craig: I’m listening to Vower a lot lately. They were amazing earlier. Also, quite a bit of Better Lovers, with Greg from Dillinger Escape Plan and the Every Time I Die guys. And the new Pijn record is insane. The new And So I Watch You From Afar record, too.
Gavin: I was trying to check my phone to see what I’ve been listening to, but it’s not working. But yeah, I've been listening to Maybeshewill recently. I just got their back catalogue on vinyl and have been working my way through it. Oh, and Brutus as well. They're great.
Craig: Oh and Brat you’re listening to that a lot.
Gavin: That goes without saying, “Guess” is a bop!
Matt: I have a really weird taste in music.
We don't believe in guilty pleasures. I mean, I haven't been watching anything but Taylor Swift's Eras Tour it’s so good!
Matt: I’m into a lot of really disgustingly heavy stuff right now. I’m obsessed with Frontierer, and there's this band called Methwitch—it might be a solo artist, actually—but it's probably the heaviest thing I can listen to without feeling actual pain. Also into Car Bomb. Lately, it hasn't been much post-rock for me; I’ve been playing Beat Saber, and there’s a lot of intense electronic music on there. I’ve been blasting it, much to the annoyance of anyone within five miles! And I'm really into unpeople right now—can't get enough of them. They're also great people to chat with the unpeople are great people.
Craig: What are you listening to?
Still hooked on the Eras Tour. Also been prepping for an interview with M.A.G.S. so I’ve been diving into his work—he’s so good. I’m into Only Twin, which is more electronic and chill. Oh, and Sweet Pill been listening to a lot of them lately.
Matt: I saw Sweet Pill recently.
I interviewed them and caught three of their shows—Reading, Trees, and Bristol.
Matt: I was at the Bristol show too! It was great.
We can be Bristol friends!
Matt: I also caught them in Cardiff. Funny enough, I forgot I bought tickets for both shows, and they were playing both! They were so good. Did you see Tangled Hair as well? They were amazing. James Trood, their drummer, is a huge influence on me. I almost missed my train because I was talking to him.
It felt like a laid-back jam session among friends. Such a great vibe.
Matt: Exactly, like your buddies just playing music.
Now we're all going to run to watch And So I Watch You From Afar.
Craig: Absolutely!
Fort’s latest EP, Over The Water, Where The Clouds Grow, is out now and comes with an exclusive T-shirt available on the band's Bandcamp page.
