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CMJ standout Fort Lean is ready to make headlines
 

During the 2011 CMJ Festival in New York City, CULTURE set up shop in an airy Broadway loft and hosted a very relaxing—although strangely marijuana-free—afternoon of non-stop interviews, whimsical photography and daytime drinking. Well over a thousand artists perform at dozens of venues scattered all over the five boroughs during the College Music Journal’s annual blowout; five days and nights stacked with showcases, mixers, panels, cocktails parties, afterparti

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CMJ standout Fort Lean is ready to make headlines

 

During the 2011 CMJ Festival in New York City, CULTURE set up shop in an airy Broadway loft and hosted a very relaxing—although strangely marijuana-free—afternoon of non-stop interviews, whimsical photography and daytime drinking. Well over a thousand artists perform at dozens of venues scattered all over the five boroughs during the College Music Journal’s annual blowout; five days and nights stacked with showcases, mixers, panels, cocktails parties, afterparties—why there’s even a freakin‘ film festival. So if you are an unsigned band trying to get noticed over the cacophony . . . well . . . good luck.

So with all the interesting, quirky bands coming out of the teeming Brooklyn scene, why has Fort Lean gotten so much positive attention? Go see this five-piece live and you’ll understand. Their sound is loud and joyful and they perform with so much energy and emotion that you can’t help but feel it. That’s how you cut through the haze, kids. Go ahead and laugh but it’s true: you gotta believe.

I talked to drummer Sam Ubl, bassist Jake Aron and lead singer Keenan Mitchell (he’s got the big hair). Not present that day was guitarist Zack Fried who – while described by his bandmates as a “great friend” could not, unfortunately, “handle his Jameson.” Keyboardist Will Runge was playing with his other group, Yankee, because – like so many of their Brooklyn peers – everyone in Fort Lean is also in another band or two.

All except Sam, who explains, “It just comes to not wanting to be in a band with anyone else but my friends.”

Amen, brother.

A recent glowing review in the mighty New York Times had propelled Fort Lean to the front of the CMJ pack. As anyone struggling to make it in just about any creative field will tell you, getting a kickass write up in The Paper of Record is sweet vindication for kids who’ve been eating Ramen noodles, working multiple jobs and occasionally sleeping on couches for what feels like forever.

The best part about it though? The parental units just love that shit.

“That’s like two years of guitar lessons right there,” Keenan says. “Just paid for.”

 

So what’s the plan going forward here?

Jake: Well we’re gearing up for tours in the spring and summer.

Sam: The plan going ahead is better shows, release better music, go on tour, go to South by [Southwest], keep recording, like, every day.”

 

At this point in the game I’m pretty sure you all still have day jobs, right?

Sam: I teach third grade in Brooklyn.

Jake: I’m a recording engineer.

Keenan: No day job . . . I promote CULTURE Magazine’s agenda in my spare time.”

 

How did Fort Lean come to be?

Jake: We’ve all been kind of playing in bands with various amounts of the members of this band for a while. We’ve all known each other for like seven years. I’d been on tour with another band—we all had other projects going on—but then it kinda clicked. It just made sense and we were sort of like, “Let’s do this band!” Keenan’s an amazing singer. Everyone else likes the way everyone plays. Everyone’s good. We all had an idea of what we wanted to do. We played and it worked so we started writing songs, and apparently people have been really into it.”

 

I’m feeling some momentum building here with you guys.

Jake: Yeah, it’s been crazy too because it’s only really been since January that we’ve had everyone in the band.”

Keenan: We played our first show in February or March.

Sam Yeah, it’s been really smooth. Surprisingly smooth and it’s been super fun. We’re just playing songs that we think are sweet.

 

Why would you waste your time playing songs you don’t think are sweet?

Jake: MONEY. [All laugh]

Keenan: Because you don’t know how to write any good ones!

 

So when you’re in the studio writing songs it’s . . . painless?

 

Jake: I wouldn’t say it’s easy but…the songs are there.

Sam: The fact that it’s five guys in a room makes things move a little bit more slowly than if there was just one dude playing with a guitar. But five dudes in a room . . . I kinda feel like that’s the way this music is meant to be played.”

 

You really have a big sound, but so far you’ve been mostly playing small rooms. Are you ready to get out and stretch your legs a little in a bigger space?

Sam: Definitely.

 

What’s the biggest place you’ve played so far?

Jake: Last night we played Santos Party Room and they had a nice little green room behind the stage with like . . . cheese puffs. And lots of beer.

 

I get the feeling you guys are going to really enjoy the expanded green room experience that comes with commercial success.

Keenan: I can’t f@*king wait.

 

So you’re looking forward to enjoying all the perks of the rock and roll lifestyle?

Sam: Well, we just want to turn our lifestyle into the rock and roll lifestyle as opposed to just the Brooklyn lifestyle.

Keenan: I want to be paid to do our thing instead of just doing our thing and not getting paid.

Sam: Yeah. We’re doing it anyway so we might as well get paid for it.

 

fortlean.com

 

Cowabunga, Doob!

Through a cunning series of wiretaps and brainwashing techniques, the members of Fort Lean revealed to CULTURE their favorite cannabis strains:

 

Drummer Sam Ubl: Purple Bart Simpson.

Bassist Jake Aron: Surfer’s Choice.

Vocalist Keenan Mitchell: Anything that makes me feel upbeat and ready to face the day.

 

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