Okay, let's unpack this. Today we are doing a
deep dive into the really compelling career arc
of the American indie rock band Fences. We're
focusing pretty intensely on the journey of their
main creative force, Christopher Mansfield. It's
a story that, you know, it kind of defies the
typical rock narrative. It charts this fascinating
course from like... obscurity on myspace way
back right up to becoming a billboard charting
act signed to a major label so our mission today
is to really meticulously explore the sources
you shared with us we want to look at fence's
evolution not just musically but almost as a
master class in well professional endurance we're
looking at how they consistently blended that
pop rock feel with alternative rock grit and
that very confessional indie rock lyric style
and crucially we're going to dissect how their
consistent output and these really powerful strategic,
sometimes unexpected collaborations truly define
their biggest moments, their most successful
period. Right. And we've set the why it matters
context right from the jump here. This deep dive,
it isn't just about, you know, listing songs
and release dates. It's really a critical look
at how artists actually achieve and maintain
longevity in what is, let's face it, an incredibly
oversaturated market today. We're synthesizing,
I think, three core things that shaped Mansfield's
career. First, the careful, sometimes quite radical
management of his personal story, his narrative.
Second, how strategic collaboration acts almost
like a force multiplier, boosting reach and credibility.
And finally, that enduring, almost mythical role
of old school industry discovery, someone finding
you even in all the digital chaos we have now.
This gives us one of the clearest examples we've
seen recently where discipline, consistency,
and frankly, professional strategy. Okay, so
let's anchor ourselves where it all kicked off.
Seattle, Washington. That's home base for Fences.
The core lineup, it really centers around Christopher
Mansfield. He's on lead vocals, guitar. He's
the main songwriter, the driving force behind
it all. Supporting him, especially in key periods,
you had Benjamin Greenspan on guitar and keyboard,
Lindsey Starr on bass and vocals, and she becomes
pretty important later, and Elliot Gurum Chaffee
on drums. Yeah, that's kind of the classic setup
for a dedicated indie rock band, isn't it? And
they've been consistently active for, well, over
a decade now, started around 2010. But to really
get the depth of Mansfield's lyrics, I think
you need to understand his background. It's quite
unique. He wasn't just a product of the Seattle
scene. He was actually born in Brockton, Massachusetts.
And he has this fascinating detail. He's the
youngest kid in a family of 10, which often suggests
maybe unique perspective, maybe less swayed by
immediate trends. And significantly, before even
forming the band, he attended Berklee College
of Music. which is a big deal. Right, Berklee.
That foundational training in music theory and
composition, it really elevates his work beyond
just simple bedroom songwriting. It gives the
material this kind of sophisticated musical structure
underneath all that emotional vulnerability.
That mixed East Coast roots, big family, formal
training, that's crucial. But what makes the
story really take off is how Fences broke through
initially. It wasn't the usual industry machine.
It was the early Internet. Specifically, that
Tegan and Sarah connection around 2009, 2010.
Oh, yeah. That's the classic, like, mid -2000s
success story, isn't it? Mansfield put out his
debut EP independently. Ultimate Puke, it was
called. April 1st, 2008. Now, you've got to remember
the context. 2008, MySpace was the place for
discovering new artists online. And almost like
lightning in a bottle, the sources confirm Ultimate
Puke is discovered on MySpace by Sarah Quinn.
From Tegan and Sarah. Exactly. One half of that
huge, hugely influential Canadian indie rock
duo. Wow. I mean. For an unknown artist being
picked out from MySpace obscurity by someone
like Sarah Quinn, that's just that's instant
validation, right? It's basically a career making
moment. It hands Fence's immediate indie cred.
Totally. And Sarah Quinn's involvement, it went
way beyond just like a quick shout out or a tweet.
She really took the project under her wing. She
actually produced, recorded and even added her
own distinct vocals to Fence's self -titled debut
album. The first full album. Yeah. Which came
out September 28, 2010. This was a very deliberate
move signaling to the whole indie world, okay,
this project has real artistic weight. It has
pedigree. And Quinn's production style, you know,
it's known for being crisp, but with that definite
indie feel. It cemented Fences right in that
space from day one. And that collaboration paid
off immediately, critically anyway. The Fences
album made enough noise that Spine Magazine put
it on their year -end list, the albums you may
have missed list for 2010. That's a pretty strong
endorsement. It tells people, hey, pay attention
here. They got noticed. by the Influential Press
right away. What's important about that since
spinless recognition, it's not a chart number,
right? It's about critical curiosity. It's the
music press saying, OK, there's depth here. There's
promise. It sets fences apart from bands just
riding some fleeting wave. So, OK, they've got
this critical buzz from the indie world. Now
they need to build a live presence, prove they
can do it on stage. And what's really interesting
about their early touring is just how varied
it was. It says a lot about how Mansfield songwriting
could connect with different crowds. Indeed.
Late 2010, early 2011, they hit the road supporting
Against Me. Wow, yeah. Pumproot Rock powerhouse.
Exactly. High energy, politically charged audience.
Putting Fences in that slot proved they could
handle a heavier, more intense crowd. It suggested
that lyrical honesty could resonate even with
a punk ethos. But then, just a few months later,
July 2011, they do a complete 180. They're touring
with Hello Goodbye. Right. The indie pop band.
Super different vibe. Totally different. So being
able to open for both. against me and hello goodbye
that requires a sound that's fundamentally flexible
across genres something that could pull people
in from that intense punk crowd but also from
the more melodic maybe sentimental pop crowd
that versatility definitely proved they could
sustain the kind of broad appeal needed for you
know future commercial growth it set the stage
and that ability to navigate different scenes
really foreshadows their biggest commercial move
which actually came from from some really effective
local networking. Yeah. Connecting with Seattle's
own global superstar, Macklemore. Okay, yeah.
This is where it gets really interesting. Because
the collaboration didn't start in some corporate
boardroom, right? The sources say Mansfield first
caught Macklemore's eye after performing at this
very specific local event. It was called Songs
for Eating and Drinking. Right. And this little
detail, this collective, it explains so much
about how organic that connection was. It's described
as this intimate gathering where Seattle musicians
literally have dinner together and then share
new music they've written, often specifically
for that night. Huh. So it's about community.
Exactly. Community accountability, sharing art
when it's still raw. It's the complete opposite
of typical transactional industry networking.
Macklemore saw fences in an environment that
valued vulnerability and authentic creation,
which, you know. clearly clicked with his own
approach. And that authentic connection led to
this huge, broad collaboration. It wasn't just
a one -off feature. August 2011, Mansfield works
with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis on that powerful
Other Side remix. That gave Fences exposure to
Macklemore's rapidly growing hip -hop and mainstream
audience. Yeah, but the deeper, maybe more impactful
collaboration came in 2012. Mansfield didn't
just feature. He co -wrote and provided lead
vocals along with Fence's bassist, Lindsey Starr.
Remember her? Right. For the track 10 ,000 Hours
on Macklemore's massive 2012 album, The Heist.
Wow. OK, so being a co -writer on a track for
an album that won Grammys and went global, that's
a total game changer commercial. Absolutely.
Yeah. It puts Fence's key players not just near
success, but directly on a globally successful
multi -platinum record. It gives them immense
credibility. And that huge boost in visibility
in professional cred, that provided the momentum
for the next big and probably risky step, signing
with a major label. Fence is signed with Elektra
Records in 2013. I mean, think about that shift
from a debut album produced by an indie icon
like Sarah Quinn to being under the umbrella
of a major player like Elektra. And this wasn't
just like. A default move, it was driven by the
strength of the new songs. We actually have details
about how enthusiastic the label was. Elektra's
president at the time, Jeff Kastelas, he was
quoted talking about Mansfield's demos for the
second album, Lesser Oceans. Kastelas specifically
said the songs capture those moments that pass
most of us by in our hectic lives. That's a really
telling quote, isn't it? It shows Elektra saw
more than just the commercial heat from the Macklemore
connection. They recognized that deep lyrical
quality, the same thing that drew Sarah Quinn
in. The label was banking on the idea that Mansfield's
introspective writing could connect with a mass
audience. Yeah, the challenge, though, when you
move to a major is always keeping that indie
feel while getting that major label polish, right?
So to handle that transition for Lesser Oceans,
they brought in a really high -powered production
team. You've got Chris Wallow from Deathcatch.
for Cutie involved. Jaquire King, who's known
for making these huge sounding records for bands
like Of Monsters and Men. And of course, Ryan
Lewis, again, continuing that connection. That
mix seems designed for impact. Totally. It guarantees
a sound that's solid, pristine, really built
for maximum radio potential. A massive shift
from the intimacy of the first album produced
by Kwan. And that strategic push led to real,
measurable chart success. The single Arrows,
which smartly featured Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
again for Maximum Impact, came out July 29, 2014.
That was the big announcement for Lesser Oceans.
And here's the key metric that shows the strategy
work. Arrows hit number one on Billboard magazine's
Emerging Artists chart. Number one. Yeah. That
chart position is strategically important because
it proves they successfully moved beyond just
the indie niche. They became a recognized national
act without being purely reliant on top 40 pop
radio. It validated that whole approach, combining
indie substance with smart commercial collaboration.
It was a winning formula. And Lesser Oceans,
with that chart topping Single Arrows, was then
released on March 10, 2015. Solidified their
status. Okay, so we've mapped out the commercial
journey, the smart strategy of using local ties,
critical champions to make that leap to a major
label. But the deeper, maybe more compelling
layer in the sources you shared with us really
revolves around Christopher Mansfield's personal
life and his philosophy. This is where the Fences
story goes beyond just career stats and actually
offers, I think, a really crucial insight into
the pressures on modern artists. Yeah, this raises
a really important question, one that cuts right
to the heart of the music industry, honestly.
For decades, artists, particularly in rock and
alternative music, they felt this immense pressure
to perform the role of the tortured artist. It's
this dangerous, romanticized idea that links
creativity directly to personal chaos, drugs,
drinking, self -sabotage, the whole thing. And
Mansfield, right at the peak of his commercial
success, just completely rejected that narrative,
flat out. He's been incredibly open and proactive
about talking about his sobriety, mostly using
his own blog and Twitter to share his journey.
Our sources point to this really specific anecdote
from an interview with a Seattle publication
where he talks about time he spent in rehab.
This isn't treated like some footnote. It's a
central theme he chose to discuss openly, which
is a powerful move against the usual industry
grain. And what's fascinating here is how he
frames it publicly. It's not primarily presented
as like a moral or spiritual awakening, although
those things might be part of it. His public
framing is intensely professional. He directly
connected being sober to his ability to actually
do his job well. As a musician. Right. His rejection
of that image people often tried to pin on him,
the drunk, tortured artist. It was just unequivocal.
Mansfield stated quite bluntly that the image
was total bullshit. It wasn't just how he felt.
It was like this clear -eyed analysis of discipline
versus output. And that is the crucial point
for you, the listener, to really grasp here.
He didn't just deny the stereotype. He broke
down its professional cost. He explicitly said
that drinking was actively blowing any chances
I may have of ever touring or recording a real
record or meeting any goals short or long. Wow.
That's a stunning level of professional clarity,
isn't it? Let's just pause on that for a second.
That quote, it basically dismantles the myth,
right? The industry often pushes this idea that
suffering makes the best art, that chaos is somehow
necessary for authenticity. Mansfield argues
the complete opposite. Chaos actually gets in
the way of sustained professional artistry. It
stops the artist from meeting basic career goals
like touring consistently or making quality records.
And you can kind of trace this thinking back
through his career choices. He knew Sarah Quinn,
who's known for being a disciplined professional,
produced his debut. He knew Macklemore, who's
famously outspoken about his own recovery and
professional focus, was his biggest collaborator.
By framing his own discipline as a necessary
career strategy, Mansfield is essentially saying,
look, if you want sustained success, you have
to reject the destructive path. The whole romance
of self -destruction is just not compatible with
the kind of endurance you need to put out four
albums and multiple EPs over 13 years. Exactly.
That's the endurance factor. Being able to maintain
creative control, handle the pressures of a major
label like Elektra, consistently tour all of
that requires an underlying stability, stability
that the tortured artist persona just can't provide
long term. So his public narrative becomes this
powerful, strategic act of control. It ensures
his music gets judged on its merit, not overshadowed
by offstage drama. He basically replaced the
tragic genius narrative with the professional
craftsman narrative. And that context is actually
vital for understanding the longevity we see.
in the discography we're about to cover. It means
that every single album an EP fence has released,
especially after, say, 2015, is really a testament
to the fact that structure and boundaries can
enable high -quality output, not restrict it.
It's a really inspiring counter -narrative for
any creative person dealing with intense pressure.
So if we connect Mansfield's commitment to discipline
back to the actual music, the sheer consistency
of their discography over, what, 13 years, four
studio albums, numerous EPs, it really shows
the endurance needed. to thrive today. This body
of work proves his focus on professional goals
actually worked. Okay, let's break down the evolution
through the four main studio albums. We should
pay attention to the producers and collaborators
because they really highlight Fences' changing
sound and where they were strategically at each
point. We start with the foundation, right? The
self -titled debut, Fences. September 28, 2010.
Sarah Quinn's production is key here. It locks
in that earnest, slightly raw indie sound. Notable
tracks that really establish their signature
vibe include Girls with Accents that became an
early favorite. And My Girl the Horse, which
the source notes runs four minutes and 31 seconds.
That length, the mood of this early stuff, it
signaled depth, artistic ambition from the get
-go. Oh, then we jump forward quite a bit to
the major label record, Lesser Oceans, released
March 10th, 2015. This album really represents
that shift. We mentioned that high -caliber production
team, Chris Walla, Jaquire King, Ryan Lewis.
Jaquire King's involvement specifically that
signals commercial intent. He specializes in
giving bands this massive, clear sound. It's
a stark contrast to Sarah Quinn's more intimate
style. This album has the huge single era. obviously,
but also tracks like songs about angels and temple
dreaming. The sound is just broader, slicker,
built for bigger stages, reflecting that electro
mandate. Right. Then the journey continues with
the third album, Failure Sculptures. That arrived
June 21st, 2019. And the title alone, Failure
Sculptures, it suggests this really deep philosophical
kind of reckoning, turning past mistakes into
something constructive, which fits perfectly
with Mansfield rejecting that destructive myth
we talked about. Absolutely. The title implies
this conscious artistic choice, doesn't it? To
embrace flaws as part of creativity rather than
letting them derail you. This album came out
after the major label pressure was off, and you
can almost sense this thematic exploration of
resilience in tracks like A Mission. the title
track Failure Sculptures, which is quite potent,
and something like God Music, which suggests
some self -searching. It feels like a return
to more creative independence, more heavy introspection
after the big commercial push of Lesser Oceans.
And then most recently, we have Bright Soil,
released September 15th, 2023. This is the product
of their latest era, showing they're still reaching
artistically. This album features a collaboration
with Wesley Schultz. From the Lumineers. Right,
lead singer and guitarist for the Lumineers on
the title track Bright Soil. Yeah, and that Schultz
collaboration is pretty strategic too, I think.
It aligns Fences with that contemporary folk
rock sound, again, broadening their appeal. It
links them with successful artists known for
powerful, story -driven lyrics. What's interesting
about Bright Soil is the pacing, maybe. Tracks
like Hell, which at 4 .52, the source says is
the longest track on the record, along with No
One and Blue Floral. They show this mature confidence,
letting the songs breathe, develop. It reflects
an artist who seems fully comfortable setting
his own terms after navigating the whole industry
machine. And beyond the main albums, those extended
plays and key singles, they're like essential
footnotes, right? They map the sound evolution
between the big releases and show he was always
creating. Yeah, the EPs kind of chronicle their
development cycle. You always start with that
initial MySpace release, Ultimate Puke from 08.
But after the second album, you see this renewed
focus on EPs as a way to keep engaging with the
audience. audience. To the Tall Trembling Trees
came out in January 2016 relatively quickly after
the major label cycle finished. Then you have
White -Eyed Elk Ensemble in April 2021. Keeps
the momentum going. And the singles reinforced
that story of strategic versatility. You know,
2010's Girls With Accents was the strong indie
start. But they also dropped non -album singles
to keep things flowing, like Marketplace in 2011.
And we absolutely have to mention that recent
collaborative single from 2021, the non -album
track Globe, which featured the amazing bluegrass
artist Billy Strings. Oh, wow. Yeah. So if you
look at the whole spectrum of who they collaborated
with, Segan and Sarah, indie pop royalty, Macklemore
hip -hop superstar, Wesley Sh**. Schultz folk
rock frontman, Billy Strings bluegrass virtuoso.
It's an incredible testament to Christopher Mansfield's
ability to just cross genre lines, find common
ground in authentic lyrics, and use those connections
to really maximize his artistic reach. Hashtag
tag outro. So what does this all really mean
when we try to put all the pieces together? Fence's
career, anchored by Christopher Mansfield, it
really feels like a high -level case study. It's
a masterclass in leveraging key relationships,
you know, from Sarah Quinn spotting him on MySpace
and validating that initial vision, to that hugely
beneficial, very local, very authentic partnership
with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Fence has successfully
navigated that really tricky, often kind of devastating
transition from being an indie darling to a major
label act. All while Mansfield's consistent public
commitment to personal accountability served
as this necessary foundation. The final synthesis
is really this. The ARC offenses shows pretty
definitively that critical and commercial success,
it takes more than just raw talent. It demands...
And that leaves us with a final provocative thought
for you, the listener, to take away from this.
We spent a good bit of time showing how Christopher
Mansfield specifically that romanticized, drunk,
tortured artist's image, viewing it as basically
hostile to professional longevity. So consider
the artists and public figures you admire, the
ones who've stayed relevant for decades, kind
of like Fences has managed. To what extent is
the sustainability of their work, that consistent
output of albums, EPs, successful tours, a direct
result of the discipline, the boundaries, the
clear professional structures they set up offstage?
Does the need for sustained artistic output ultimately
demand rejecting the very chaos that sometimes
the media or even fans seem to crave? The evidence
from Fence's consistent discography strongly
suggests that a long -term commitment to artistic
goals really demands a professional stability
to just consistently show up and deliver the
goods.