Florida-based indie rockers The Forum - who've branded themselves "indie try-ers" - have released a new double single, titled "When Did Everything Fade?"/"Wounds." The Forum is Ethan Klohr on drums, Jake Farrell on bass and vocals, Nick Wheeler on guitar, and Michael Higgins on guitar and vocals.
I had, admittedly, never listened to The Forum before this review, and I'm not sure how or why I allowed that to happen, but I'm glad I've caught on to them now. Their sound reminds me of everything I love about indie pop today.
"When Did Everything Fade?" and "Wounds" are very classic-alt-rock tracks, heavy with guitars and emotional lyricism, the former reminiscent of early Dashboard Confessional and All-American Rejects, and the latter of an 80s anthem, the synths and the deep basslines giving me heavy "driving through the night with your friends" vibes. In "Wounds" in particular, I can hear the presence of HUNNY, one of the bands that drummer Ethan Klohr mentioned as one of the bands that has influenced their sound.
Both songs are massive, and I can see why The Forum have amassed such a loyal, loving fanbase. They're more than deserving of mainstream popularity. This is what music made by people who love one another sounds like. If you listen to COIN, HUNNY, Colony House, or Bad Suns, or just generally have a love for discovering new indie pop bands, you'll love The Forum.
I also had the opportunity to catch up with three members of the band ahead of their release. Read what they had to say below!
How would you describe your music to anyone who’s never heard of you before?
Ethan: I would describe it as harder alternative and indie rock, being that most of our songs are high energy.
Jake: We're kinda like a boy band, but good.
Michael: I’d say we are guitar-driven indie rock with some pop influence.
You’ve amassed a pretty substantial + loyal following in your home state. In your own words, what makes the Florida music scene so special?
E: The friendships and how close-knit everyone is with each other; we all support each other at each other’s shows whether we are on the bill or not and hang out apart from the music.
J: The willingness of those involved to constantly seek out artists and professionals to give platforms to, and the eagerness of everyone in the scene to constantly improve and showcase their, and each other's, crafts. Not to sound too corny, but it's almost like a giant family. There's healthy competition, and some are more close to each other than others, but at the end of the day I feel we understand that we win by supporting each other and having each other's backs.
M: The Florida indie music scene continues to amaze me. I think the thing that makes it so special is that everyone takes the time to appreciate one another, whether it’s appreciating the music, the photography, the art, the travel - whatever it is that anyone in this space is contributing. And when people feel appreciated, that forms a strong bond. There are very tight friendships all over the state, it really makes every show in every city feel like a big party with friends.
What (or who) would you say has had the biggest influence on your music?
E: As a band, I feel that multiple artists have influenced us: The 1975, Young the Giant, HUNNY, Death Cab for Cutie being some examples. For me personally, I grew up listening to a lot of classic rock from my dad so bands like Rush and Led Zeppelin have always been a major influence in my drumming. As I got older though, I expanded my influences into more alternative rock and metal bands such as Pearl Jam, Incubus, Live, Deftones, Chevelle, and Interpol among many others.
J: You can definitely trace our sound all the way back to the early 2000's alternative scene, The Strokes, Death Cab for Cutie and the Killers being huge influences on us. More contemporary acts in the indie-alternative and pop-rock scenes like Young the Giant, Alvvays, The 1975 and HUNNY definitely play a part in shaping our sound as well.
M: There are a lot of artists who influence us, both local and global. Lyrically, I’ve always idolized Ben Gibbard and Death Cab for Cutie, so that’s a big one for me. More recently, we’ve deeply studied a lot of tiny details of what bands with similar instrumentation as us are excelling at - Bad Suns, The1975, and Wallows come to mind.
Who are some artists making music today that excite you?
E: Some of the current artists I get excited for new music from are Last Dinosaurs, Tame Impala, The 1975, The Band CAMINO, Fleet Foxes, Mac Ayres, Local Natives, and Frank Ocean but the list goes on and on and also includes a lot of our up and coming Florida bands like Flipturn, The Hails, Grand Lotus, Driveaway, and Youth Antics that we’ve seen or played with in the past.
J: There are so many exciting solo acts working in LA of all places, Anderson .Paak, Steve Lacy, Tyler, The Creator, that constantly inspire me to do more with my art and push the bounds of my creativity.
M: Too many to count. For me recently: Vacation Manor, flor, Brother Moses, The Aces.
Who would be the absolute dream to play the same stage as?
E: There are so many artists that I would love to share the stage with, but if I had to choose one it would be Tame Impala.
J: Young the Giant!
M: Death Cab for Cutie.
The Forum can be found on Twitter, Instagram, and their website. For anybody local to Gainsville, the band will be having a release party for their double single tonight at High Dive. They'll also be playing a few shows in Florida next month with Wanderwild. "When Did Everything Fade?" and "Wounds" can be streamed anywhere you listen to music.
