FIGHTMASTER – Minotaur
FIGHTMASTER is the solo moniker of nonbinary musician, actor and activist E.R. Fightmaster and – ahead of the release of their debut album Tolerance this Friday, June 5th – they share their new single “Minotaur.”
The album’s focus track from the artist who first came into the public eye for their standout work on television including Grey’s Anatomy and Shrill – is a waltzing and intimate indie-rock ode to the Greek myth of Theseus and the labyrinth, a story about love and heartbreak that allows the audience to perpetually shift sympathies. FIGHTMASTER notes, “The longer I sat with this myth, the more my heartache shifted from Theseus and his father to the Minotaur himself.”
With the release of “Minotaur,” FIGHTMASTER builds on the alt-pop world that they have created throughout Tolerance – including early singles “Glide,” “Quicksand” and “All or Nothing” – where raw and unvarnished lyrics reflect the complexities of emotional growth and heartache. It’s an album that exhibits artistic clarity, a reflection of Fightmaster’s own self-awareness about their place in the world, musical and otherwise. When Fightmaster started writing lyrics for Tolerance, they drew from a lifetime of experiences, re-analyzing them through the lens of hindsight and grace. That doesn’t mean Fightmaster has life completely figured out. In fact, there’s a very good reason Tolerance’s songs brim with so much empathy, both for the narrator and their subjects.
“I want people to know that there’s still cracks in the pavement. In the last couple of years I had to realize that I get my feelings hurt every day… When I realized how much kid-heartbreak is still in there, I was able to write these songs with more kindness for myself than I’ve ever had.”
For Tolerance, Fightmaster teamed up with producers and collaborators Riley Geare – who helmed the Violence and Bloodshed Baby EPs, Casey Kalmensen (Little Monarch, keys for Gracie Abrams) and Gabe Goodman (Del Water Gap, Role Model, Maggie Rogers). “Tolerance is the most deliberate thing I’ve ever done,” they say. “There are no random songs. I feel warm and soft about the album in a way I don’t think I’ve ever felt about a piece of my art before.”
Today, FIGHTMASTER kicks off their support dates with Lord Huron which includes a stop at Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre. They also just announced that they will be performing at Austin City Limits in October, which follows a year of festival performances including Kilby Block Party and Treefort Music Fest. FIGHTMASTER spent May on tour supporting Lucy Dacus and headlining sold out shows at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom, Chicago’s Lincoln Hall, D.C.’s Atlantis and more.
FIGHTMASTER Tour Dates
Jun 2 – Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl ++
Jun 4 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater ++
Jun 6 – Missoula, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater ++
Jun 7 – Missoula, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater ++
Jun 9 – Cheyenne, WY – The Lincoln ++
Jun 11 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre ++
Jun 12 – Greenwood Village, – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre ++
Oct 3 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Festival
Oct 10 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Festival
++ notes dates w/Lord Huron
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