You may not have heard of Fort Frances, but you should definitely check them out. In preparation for the release of their new album Alio, they have recorded a music video for the classic Led Zeppelin song, “Going to California.” Indie Voice Blog is proud to exclusively release this video today to get you ready to catch these guys in concert.
The song is very apropos, considering the band’s current tour schedule, which kicks off next Saturday night, October 22, with a secret show in Seattle, Washington. Here are the dates for the tour (click on the links for tickets and additional details):
Tour dates:
10/22/16 – Seattle Secret Show – Seattle, WA
10/24/16 – White Eagle – Portland, OR
10/25/16 – Hotel Utah – San Francisco, CA
10/28/16 – Hotel Cafe *Second Stage* – Los Angeles, CA
10/29/16 – Standing Sun Wines – Buellton, CA
Based in Chicago, these indie rockers have found success in a most unlikely place – Lithuania. Even while the band was doing the DIY battle in the United States, they were becoming a household name in this former member of the USSR, where their music video cover of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince’s song, “Summertime,” released in 2012, collected more than one million views.
“We started to get all these messages from fans in Eastern Europe about how much they loved the song,” lead singer David McMillin says. “We really didn’t think that we were catching on somewhere halfway around the world.”
In 2015, they were offered a slot at Loftas Fest, the biggest summer music festival in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, where they played along with Mercury Prize-winning Young Fathers and XL/Terrible Records rapper Le1f. “Here we were, this unknown band with our name alongside some of these huge artists from around the world,” bassist Jeff Piper says. “I didn’t even believe we were going until we were on the plane.”
Fort Frances arrived in Lithuania to find their name plastered on billboards and street signs. They even appeared on Good Morning Lithuania. As if that wasn’t enough, the band played the sold out opening night headlining spot at the Festival.
“Our week in Lithuania was one of the most rewarding times of my life,” McMillin says. “You start playing music in a garage without a clue as to where it can take you. I never would have expected the road could lead us to a stage in the former Eastern Bloc.”
Don’t miss your chance to catch this amazing band on their west coast tour. We’ll be back next week with a review of their new album. In the meantime, check out their website and Facebook pages, follow them on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to their YouTube channel.
Thanks to Alex Steininger of In Music we Trust PR for the background material, and for turning us on to this fascinating indie band.