Exclusive Premiere: Fort Frances, ‘These Are the Mountains Moving’

Chicago-based indie rockers Fort Frances are preparing to release their new EP, No One Needs to Know Our Name, on May 12. Ahead of that date, Diffuser is beyond thrilled to partner with the trio to premiere the brand new song, “These Are the Mountains Moving” -- take it for a spin in the audio player below.

“These Are the Mountains Moving” highlight Fort Frances’ innate ability to craft dynamic musical arrangements without ever overwhelming the listener. There are no distractions found within this track, which makes sense as the band’s recording process for the new EP was recorded in a farmhouse in the middle of the hills of Maine.

"I wrote the song on a long train ride from Chicago to Denver," frontman David McMillin recalls. "I wound up sitting next to a guy who had just been released from prison. He did not exude any sort of 'let’s-be-friends' air. How was I going to sleep on this train? What if this guy knifed me? My romantic vision of train travel was crushed with the fear that this guy, who seemed to be breaking parole by crossing state lines, might kill me."

McMillin goes on, "But the journey to Denver takes almost 20 hours, which is long enough to become friends with a convict. By the time the train was making its way through eastern Colorado, I was sitting in the food car with him drinking beer and hearing about his plan to reunite with the first girl he ever loved in Denver. It’s where the line 'everyone gets breakable' comes from. This guy had been in jail for assault. He was the portrait of toughness and grit. When I first sat next to him, he seemed like the kind of guy who might kill kittens for fun. And there he sat, pouring out worries that this girl would reject him."

Fort Frances currently have a few shows lined up for May, including a gig at Chicago's Lincoln Hall and New York's Rockwood Music Hall. You can stay up-to-date with their happenings (including grabbing their full tour itinerary) right here.