Setting the scene with an atmospheric alternative vocals, Forts open their latest single, The Chemist with a cerebral and dark, dream pop vibe that has us hypnotized.

As The Chemist expands we experience a narrative about “personifying the disorder as a monster”, to remind anyone dealing with mental health issues that they are not their illness.

The song paints Mars, who is Forts’ singer, as the character of The Chemist, struggling to tame the chemical monster that she hides from the world.

The band consists of Mary Clare (Mars) Clemons, Colton Jones, and Isaiah Gutierrez. Mars is the singer, lyricist, and electronic producer of the band. Colton, coming from a background of playing many instruments, co-produces and plays The Push and electronic drum pads live. Isaiah, the newest member of the group, plays drums.

We are obsessed with the ethereal vocals, reversed nuances, divergent synths and industrial-hybrid sonic landscape that delivers a unique experience. Mars sings the lyrics, “I don’t trust myself anymore…” as the opus cohesively immerses us.

Speaking on their inspirations, Forts say, “Our main influences all have some sort of dark, crunchy, alt-pop or fantasy pop elements to them, like Phantogram, Purity Ring, Grimes, Nero and Deftones”, but it is clear that Forts are creating a universe of their own.

It is no surprise that The Chemist landed on Spotify’s influential New Music Friday playlist, and the band’s previous single, Eternal Flame was synched with the massive Chinese mobile game, Arknights and has already reached over 1 million streams on the Chinese streaming platform, Bilibili.

Forts have the intention of capturing “the feeling of what it’s like to live in a reality distorted by PMDD”. For reference, Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is an imbalance of hormones/chemicals in the body that can cause a rollercoaster of extreme depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, aligning with one’s monthly cycle.

We love the unique wisdom and frequency that Forts design their songs with, and have added The Chemist to our New Music Spotlight playlist. We have also been streaming the band’s wider discography including Eternal Flame and Air.

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