Brisbane alt-rock four-piece Tape/Off have returned 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.
 
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.”

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 are:
Drums 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

Recorded and Mixed by Cameron Smith at Incremental Records
Mastered by John Ruberto at Mastersound

Release: February 7th, 2025, Coolin’ By Sound