Songs for Sabotage On the Making Of “Fortress”
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind "Fortress" and the story it tells?
It’s a tale of despair packaged into an alt-pop song. We wanted the subject matter to be wistful and hopeless… which may sound depressing, but that’s the main place we go to feel inspired…the darkest moments we can personally recall. The lyrics are about boxing yourself in with your insecurities despite all the potential you might have.
Can you talk about the recording and production process for "Fortress?"
“Fortress” was written around a demo we made in 2020. We had a guitar riff, bass line and basic drum beat laid down for ages until it turned into a proper song. We took the main ideas from that demo and rearranged the song to be mostly synth-based. The main melody was played on a Yamaha PS-20. Once we’d played the riff/bass groove on the synth it gave a whole new energy and vibe to the song, which we proceeded to run with.
What was your favorite moment in making the music video?
The most rewarding part was spending a day at the beach with our friends. For years we’ve been visiting Point Dume, in Malibu. It’s a popular spot with amazing cliffside views of the coastline, but also has a hidden/semi-private beach at the bottom… if you’re daring enough to walk down the footpath that’s been carved out by trespassers. Once you’re at the bottom you’re surrounded by the ocean and miles of private beach, which is where we shot the video.
Can you tell us more about you as a band?
Lina is originally from Sweden and played in punk/garage bands in Stockholm before relocating to NYC in 2011. There she formed the band Råtta and was a fixture of the Bowery punk scene. Richey grew up in Lexington, KY, fronting bands in the local DIY punk/indie music scene and booking his own tours as far back as 2005. He has played guitar for artists such as Tamaryn and Wendy James, and has production credits alongside Chris Lord-Alge and Paul Wilson (Snow Patrol).
We met in November 2017 when Richey was DJing at Brooklyn bar, Night of Joy. We bonded over a mutual love for Swedish pop, 80s first wave, 90s alternative, and 00s indie. We were both in other bands at the time (Lina in a riotgrrrl-esque punk/garage trio and Richey in a moody goth band) but we started writing our own songs together that were a little less serious and more tongue-in-cheek, and poppy on purpose, which was refreshing for us both. Eventually we had enough to start playing live and SFS played our first show in August of 2019 @ The Sultan Room in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
Are there any upcoming projects or releases that you are particularly excited about?
Clean Trauma - our 2nd full-length album - is out February 28th! We’re also going on a tour of NorCal and the PNW right before the album drops (dates below):
Sunday February 4 @ Winters Tavern - Pacifica, CA
Tuesday February 6 @ The Dip - Redding, CA
Wednesday February 7 @ Sam Bond’s Garage - Eugene, OR
Thursday February 8 @ Rhythms Coffee - Olympia, WA
Friday February 9 @ The Big Legrowlski - Portland, OR
Saturday February 10 @ Jules Maes Saloon - Seattle, WA
Sunday February 11 @ The Rabbit Box - Seattle, WA
