Fences Releases New EP ‘Wide Eyed Elk Ensemble’

Singer-songwriter Christopher Mansfield (aka FENCES) has just released a new 5-track EP titled ‘Wide Eyed Elk Ensemble.’

The EP builds on the sounds of his previous effort, the critically acclaimed LP ‘Failure Sculptures,’ which was released as an expanded deluxe edition earlier this year.

Mansfield tells the Long Beach Press-Telegram, “It’s actually my favorite record that I’ve done. Just because I feel like I’m the strongest I’ve been lyrically, I just put a lot of care into the poetry of it and the music is a good mix of all my records. This feel like where I should be.”

Over the years, the musician has caught the attention of and collaborated with a diverse group of fellow artists including Tegan & Sara, Macklemore, Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla, Jacquire King (Of Monsters and Men), Nile Marr (son of Johnny Marr), Cedric Bixler-Zavala (The Mars Volta, At The Drive-In) and Ryan Lewis, while touring with the likes of Against Me! and Hellogoodbye.

Stream ‘Wide Eyed Elk Ensemble’ via the following link.

Fences Share New Music Video For ‘Fake Snow’

Fences (aka Seattle musician Christopher Mansfield) is releasing a new EP, Wide Eyed Elk Ensemble, on April 30 via ENCI. He recently released lead single “Boot Height,” and has now premiering second single “Fake Snow.”

Speaking about the new song and video, Fences (Christopher Mansfield)says, ““Father” to me is such a large word. In the name of the father, the father the son and the Holy Ghost. It’s an almost non gender-based energy that looms above and guides us. When I say “you’ve killed me” it’s me almost saying father took the guardian angels off pay roll. In this way perhaps the song is me cursing out this vague heavy energy I felt rejected by at times. All the same, I’m also apologizing because we can never truly hate our father because then we would hate ourselves. The cold river cannot hate the mountain it melted from. The video was difficult to consider because the concept to me remains vague. I just stood and lived and we made angelic art around me. Putting halos where they don’t belong. In a larger sense I think my job is putting halos where they don’t belong.

Check out the video for ‘Fake Snow’ below.

Fences To Release ‘Failure Sculptures’ Deluxe Edition March 2021

Seattle-based FENCES, the alter-ego of musician/songwriter Christopher Mansfield will be releasing the Deluxe version of his 3rd album ‘Failure Sculptures’ on March 5th 2021 via ENCI Records, featuring two bonus tracks. Watch for a BRAND NEW EP to be released this spring.

Of the Deluxe album’s two newly reworked acoustic tracks (“A Mission” and “God Music”) Mansfield says, “Almost the instant you track something in permanence you start to play it differently. You know how stories get embellished, religious texts have a bit of wiggle room or the size of fish your stepdad caught keeps growing? It’s like that. A song is really just a short story. Romance aside, I just wanted y’all to hear me play ’em as is and in that room in that moment. One take with some light overdubs.”

Perhaps most well-known for his collaborations with Tegan and Sara (who produced his 2010 self-titled debut album) and Macklemore (who he’s teamed up with on various tracks), ‘Failure Sculptures’ is his first new LP since 2015’s ‘Lesser Oceans’.

Check out the lyric video for ‘A Mission’ below.

Pre-Save ‘Failure Sculptures’ via the following link.