Exclusive video premiere of ‘Isochronism’ by Forty Feet Tall, taken from their upcoming album, out early 2025.

Combining a great song with equally stunning visuals creates a magical and potent mix. Portland-based band Forty Feet Tall has mastered this combination with the release of their latest single and music video for ‘Isochronism’. This post-punk quartet features Cole Gann on vocals/guitar, Jack Sehres on guitar, Brett Marquette on bass/backup vocals, and Ian Kelley on drums. The track, produced by local talent Cameron Spies (Spoon Benders, The Shivas), is a preview of their upcoming LP. For Forty Feet Tall, the lyrics are as thought-provoking as the riffs and beats that accompany them. The band infuses their work with both intention and playfulness.

“‘Isochronism’ is a physics term describing how a pendulum takes the same amount of time to complete a swing, regardless of the starting point,” the band explains. “The song reflects on the cyclical nature of life, the passage of time, day and night, and we felt the term captured these concepts well.”

The captivating music video, described as “a fever dream inspired by the movie Frank, the weirdest parts of Twin Peaks, and the feeling of being watched,” truly reflects these influences. Directed by bassist Brett Marquette and shot by Cooper Davis, the video is a creatively directed and edited piece of art that perfectly complements the track’s mood.

Band name – Where does it come from & what does it mean to you?

Cole was into this band The Dead Weather in high school, a Jack White offshoot group, and they had a song about a woman who can deal with anything that gets thrown at her because she’s “60 Feet Tall.” Fifty was taken, but we wanted alliteration, so there you go.

How was this project formed?

It started in LA when Jack and Cole were in High School, but once Cole graduated from college in Portland we decided to re-start up there with Brett and then Ian joined the lineup a little later on.

How does Forty Feet Tall operate?

It’s a group effort – it has to be. We each hold different roles and certain people do more on the business side, but we feel it’s important that the main artistic decisions are done as a unit.

Highest points of the journey so far?

This past year we got to open for some of our favorite bands like Shame and Frankie and the Witch Fingers along with playing to our biggest crowd to date, at Revolution Hall, in Portland!

Tell us about collaborators featured in making of the single.

Charles Glade (@magnetic_impressions): Engineer and all-around renaissance man. He’s done many show posters, tour posters and does live visuals around town that are incredible.

Cameron Spies: Mixing, producing. He’s been our guiding light for the past two EPs as well and has helped us shape the songs in so many ways. The fifth member, if you will.

Mike Nolte: Mastering.

‘Isochronism’ – what is the meaning/backstory of the name?

‘Isochronism’ is mostly a physics term that describes how a pendulum takes the same time to complete a swing, no matter its starting point. The song is generally about the circular nature of life, the passage of time, day and night and the term felt like it captured those ideas well.

Please talk a little about the process/story behind it – writing it, recording it, lyrics, and visuals?

The song grew from us improvising together at a rehearsal – how most of our ideas are born. We’d been listening to some heavier, psych-ier music at the time, and really wanted to create something that felt massive, yet subtle and melodic. The lyrics came last, as they almost always do and Cole made the finishing touches as we stepped into the studio. We recorded at Charles Glade’s incredible home studio, Magnetic Impressions, and then got to mix and master it with our long-time collaborator, Cameron Spies, at Trash Treasury Recording.

And the music video – what was the concept sprung from? Any fun stories behind the footage?

Brett was the mastermind and director behind this thing and was able to get it done in an insane amount of time. It’s a fever dream inspired by the movie Frank, the weirdest parts of Twin Peaks, and the feeling of being watched… A big thank you to our friend, Cooper Davis as well. We were insanely busy with a ton of other band rabbit holes and he came up for the weekend and shot the whole thing. It would’ve been a nightmare if he hadn’t come in with a camera, a smile, and a lot of wine.

How does it feel to be coming up on the 10-year anniversary of dropping your first EP?

Bizarre. We feel like such a different band from when we first started – our style of music, new members, geographic location – so much has changed. After so many years, it’s hard not to get jaded and exhausted, especially with the scary state of the music industry, but it also feels like we’re brand new and full of energy and optimism. We feel creative and we’re having so much fun, no matter how much of a grind it still is.

Any mentionable plans/gigs on the horizon? An EP or LP in the works?

We’ll be releasing a string of singles for a bit, and putting out our LP in early 2025. We’ll hit the road in August, and again in October for a West coast tour.

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