Fort Gorgeous’ soul-searching new single “Wishing Well” dwells in questions of purpose and identity, indulging and ultimately embracing the mysteries of life.
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Mysteries are a huge part of life, especially in regards to understanding the meaning of existence and our own significant impact on the world. These questions can become haunting and lingering, making us feel somewhat grim and wry – but upon the realization that there may not be a clear answer, we might find bliss. Fort Gorgeous’ soul-searching new single “Wishing Well” dwells in questions of purpose and identity, indulging and ultimately embracing the mysteries of life.
In other nights I had felt
That I was waiting on time
Time will help
At the bottom of the sea there’s nothing else
There’s nothing else
It’s just a deep wishing well
And I was waiting on luck
Cause time won’t help
If it was all etched in stone there’s nothing else
There’s nothing else
Listen: “Wishing Well” – Fort Gorgeous
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/391885224?secret_token=s-ilLpt” params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Wishing Well,” the latest single off Fort Gorgeous’ forthcoming debut EP, The Bottom of the Sea, independently out May 4, 2018. The artist moniker for Brooklyn-based Billy Libby (who’s also a touring guitarist in Ingrid Michaelson’s band), Fort Gorgeous is a long time in the making – a cathartic unity of musical energy and emotional tension – or perhaps, musical tension and emotional energy.
“Wishing Well” evokes a new wave influence, with a heavy and captivating indie pop sound. Libby’s soft vocals and quiet uncertainty offer listeners a deeper insight to his personal journey – a never-ending quest in constant need of more. Fort Gorgeous opens with a somber guitar, questioning the meaning of life and wondering what will come of his own. “Lyrically, [the song] was inspired by the idea of asking so many questions that you eventually end up drowning in them. Basically, the big questions being, ‘what is my life and what is the point?‘ It’s about looking for answers in different places,” Fort Gorgeous tells Atwood Magazine. In the first verse, he reflects on his search for answers: “In other nights I had felt that I was waiting on time, time will help.”
“Maybe time will tell, or perhaps by luck, you’ll find them,” Libby says. “The bottom of the sea lyric in this song angles itself toward the depths of your own thought process. Basically, we’re just existing until we don’t, and that’s all we really know.” The notion of diving inward into ourselves via the bottom of the sea is so critically important that it became the whole record’s title: “Getting lost in your own mind is a pretty common theme throughout the EP,” he shares.
Till a comet in the air
Will stomp the ground like elephants
We’re candles whose light is flickering in
And it’s flickering out
I walk the streets
I fail to find the relevance
In a candle whose lights is flickering in
And it’s flickering out
“Wishing Well” also draws a deep personal connection to Libby’s life, as the recent passing of his grandfather affected him. In the second verse, Libby sings, “At the bottom of the sea, I’ll dig my toes and rest my bones.” He explains, “[My grandfather’s] nickname growing up was “Bones,” so the lyric… seemed fitting, since it made me think of that line in a way that — in laying my grandfather to rest, I wanted to commit to internalizing the massive amount of influence this person had on me, and have that help me find resolve in my own state of mind, as I carry on about my life.”
With the beautiful connection to his grandfather, and the realization that there many not be an answer to life’s mysteries, the second half of “Wishing Well” picks up to offer a happier, more relieved sound. Per the artist, the song “takes a turn in the second verse in the bridge, in being okay with the idea that there really is no answer. However, it’s liberating because you can just let yourself and your life be whatever it wants to be, as long as you don’t think yourself into an early oblivion.” Within darkness, Fort Gorgeous eventually leads us to the light.
Fort Gorgeous’ debut EP, The Bottom of the Sea, is out on 5/4/2018. The EP mirrors his pensive journey through life, with a thematic connection to the recent music of Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens. But Fort Gorgeous’ welcoming hooks and charming passages make The Bottom of the Sea his, and his alone. Stream “Wishing Well” exclusively on Atwood Magazine!
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? © Shervin Lainez art by Nick Kiefer
