| Media Release – 7 March 2025 |
| BRISBANE’S TAPE/OFF RELEASE SCATHING NEW ALBUM ‘FORT SENSIBLE’“More proof the current crop of Aussie punk rock is ahead of other countries in its willingness to confront the imperialistic violence which underpins contemporary – Various Small Flames Brisbane alt-rock four-piece Tape/Off return with Fort Sensible, their highly anticipated third album, a passionate dose of opinionated, heart-on-sleeve rock’n’roll. The record captures not just a place but a moment in time, with meticulously crafted guitars, robust rhythms, and socially conscious lyrics that delve into both the personal and the political. While musically they veer seamlessly between intricacy and intensity, their words cut straight to the quick- caustic and catchy in equal measure, making Fort Sensible by far the most ambitious and accessible album in the band’s storied decade-plus history. Featuring ten tracks, including the critically praised singles “Paris, Texas, Queensland” and “Flat Earthers”, Fort Sensible takes the tried-and-tested Tape/Off aesthetic to a whole new level, as the band seeks to both share the creative load and fully harness their innate collective chemistry. Fort Sensible – Tape/Off STREAM ALBUM Recorded and Mixed by Cameron Smith at Incremental Records Mastered by John Ruberto at Mastersound With their first two albums, Chipper (2014) and Broadcast Park (2018), both long-listed for the Australian Music Prize, Tape/Off gained traction, particularly with Broadcast Park -a ferocious indictment of modern-day living that struck a chord with thinking rock’n’roll lovers everywhere. “As we started singing about stuff closer to home and closer to our own place, we actually felt like we’ve been making music that’s a bit truer to ourselves and it really seems to be resonating,” frontman Nathan Pickels smiles. “We’ve never had so many people sing along to our songs before, and it’s when we’re singing about quite personal or local references – that’s been a weird but wonderful phenomenon.” Fresh from supporting Jeff Rosenstock (USA) and The D4 (NZ), Tape/Off will take Fort Sensible on the road with a national tour hitting Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, and Adelaide. At a time when our leaders seem lacking and the world needs the redemptive powers of art and music more than ever, Tape/Off announce themselves to the world as a serious force to be reckoned with the uncompromising power and beauty of Fort Sensible!TAPE/OFF’S ‘FORT SENSIBLE’ ALBUM TOUR09 MAY | COOLANGATTA – Iron & Resin Garage 6 Stewart Rd, Currumbin Waters more info 10 MAY | BRISBANE – Soapbox Beer w/ Velociraptor, Blankettes + Special Features + Mr Finn more info 16 MAY | SYDNEY – The Lansdowne Hotel w/ supports tba more info 17 MAY | WOLLONGONG – La La La’s w/ Miners + Sover more info 23 MAY | ADELAIDE – The Crown & Anchor w/ Dental Plan more info 24 MAY | MELBOURNE – The Gem w/ World Sick more infoTickets on sale http://www.tapeoff.net ‘Fort Sensible’ is out now Limited edition 12″ translucent blue vinyl CD and digital available worldwide via Redeye and Coolin’ By Sound https://li.sten.to/tape-off  Track List 1. Pixelated Confetti 2. On The Verge 3. Crying On The Kitchen Bench 4. Fort Sensible 5. Flat Earthers 6. Nightshift 7. ZZ Pop 8. Into The Ocean 9. Paris Texas Queensland 10. MondayTape/Off are: Drum and backing vocals by Branko Cosic Guitars and vocals by Ben Green Guitars and vocals by Nathan Pickels Bass, vocals, keys and acoustic guitars by Cameron Smith Backing vocals by Madeleine Keinonen Horns by Luke McCallum Keys by Ben Revi What critics said about Tape/Off’s latest singles Paris, Texas, Queensland: “Half love letter, half furious screed, the track does for the band’s home of Meeanjin/Brisbane what Last Quokka’s Red Dirt did for Kimberley, caught between the nostalgic fondness for the familiar and a simmering anger at its many downfalls.” Various Small Flames (UK) Paris, Texas, Queensland: “As the song begins, you can soak up that sort of lackadaisical brand of ramshackle pop, the sort the Aussie region holds in high regards. That part was kicking ass, but then they throw in a plot twist, taking more of a post-hardcore lean into the latter half, even giving just the faintest vocal growl to build the momentary angst.” Austin Town Hall (US) Paris, Texas, Queensland: “Just when we thought that the dolewave sound of acts such as Go Get Mum, Twerps, Dick Diver had died a natural death, the first half of this Paris, Texas, Queensland single by Brisbane foursome Tape/Off shows that there is still life in the aesthetic yet before it is dragged through a Eddy Current Suppression Ring style jangle-punk in the latter half of the track.” Janglepophub (SA) Flat Earthers “It’s a whole lot of fun and whets appetites for the record very nicely” Various Small Flames (UK) Flat Earthers: “Tape/Off juxtapose the dolewave energies of the Dick Diver aesthetic and rub huge swathes of The Stooges style garage rock salt into their slacker wounds to provide an irresistible musical antithesis.” Janglepophub (SA) |
BRISBANE’S TAPE/OFF RELEASE SCATHING NEW ALBUM ‘FORT SENSIBLE’
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