Great Pretender

THE NEW RECORD IS HERE & AVAILABLE only TO BACKERS LIKE YOU

ORDER NOW

🜂 HI FOLKS, IT’S FORE FADER.

this is our first BIG, LEGIT studio album since we locked ourselves away in the Mojave Desert and Los Padres forest to write and record the songs that became Great Pretender. no sterile studios or fluorescent lights for us — we went into the dust, pine and fire, dragging mics through the wilderness.

we’ve been carrying these songs for years: Chrysalis, All I Ever, Pendulum, Great Pretender (title track!) and more. they came alive in the silence of the land and now they’re finally ready to live in your hands, your speakers, and your heart.

🜂 about the ART + OBJECTS

we’ve put together a whole ecosystem of art:

  1. the deluxe album. Great Pretender — ten tracks of desert-born transformation anthems, recorded live, PLUS a bonus live EP captured in Los Angeles, and an exclusive concert film shot in the Mojave Desert.

  2. the vinyl. 180 gram, deluxe packaging, backer-only edition. once these pressings are gone, they’re gone.

  3. the handmade lyric book. we stitched this together ourselves — every page laid out with lyrics, art, fragments from the making of the record. each copy feels like something stolen from steph’s old zine-making days — collaged, stapled, and sent out into the world with human fingerprints still smudged on it.

  4. the merch. shirts, posters, and totes that don’t feel like MERCH TABLE CRAP™ — hopefully you’ll drag them with you through a dozen apartments and never throw away. limited run.

  5. the Inner Circle VIP bundle. this is for the die-hards who want to go deeper with us — early access, private drops, behind-the-scenes ritual. basically, the club of people who can say “i was here at the beginning.”

This Album ONLY Exists Because You Say Yes.

Your orders, and your willingness to value what’s sacred in a world that tries to cheapen it…

…that’s what lets a project like Great Pretender live.

When you order one of our bundles, you’re proving that art deserves to be funded by the people who believe in it, not by corporations or gatekeepers.

This is how artists can thrive. Thank you.

3 tiers, you pick:

OPTION 1

Deluxe Digital album
$15

Full Digital Album - Great Pretender - High-quality download & unlimited streaming of the full album before release day

An intimate live EP — unfiltered and unscripted

Mojave Desert LIVE Concert (for backers only): 3 live performances shot deep in the Mojave Desert. These will be delivered alongside your download or via private access link.

00% of your offering goes directly to us -- and every cent helps us make more uncompromising music. Thank you.

Claim this offering

OPTION 2

12” VINYL (SIGNED)
+ DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
$30

A limited edition 12" SIGNED vinyl of Fore Fader’s debut album, recorded live in the wilderness between forest bloom and desert stillness.

Includes the full digital album, a bonus live EP recorded in Los Angeles, and access to an exclusive concert film shot in the Mojave Desert. Only 50 copies available—once they’re gone, they’re gone.

PLUS $10 SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

100% of your offering goes directly to us -- and every cent helps us make more uncompromising music. Thank you.

CLAIM THIS OFFERING

OPTION 3

“INNER CIRCLE” VIP SEt
$125

This all-in bundle includes:

  • a limited edition 12" vinyl of Great Pretender - SIGNED

  • the deluxe digital album with a bonus live EP and a private concert film in the Mojave Desert

  • an exclusive piece of Fore Fader merch (you choose)

  • a signed handmade lyric book

  • a printed photograph captured during the making of the album

  • Fore Fader’s favorite incense, for your own listening ritual

  • Curated object, chosen by us—a small book, a tea we love, a dried flower bundle, or a sacred token we feel called to send you.

$15 SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.
Every bundle is hand-numbered. Only 55 will ever exist.

100% of your offering goes directly to us -- and every cent helps us make more uncompromising music. Thank you. Also, shipping costs are INCLUDED!

Claim this offering

✨ PICK YOUR PORTAL ✨

🜂 we made Great Pretender on our own dime with every last drop of sweat we had to give.

no label or safety net. no fairy godmother swooping in with a checkbook. every last inch of this thing exists because we willed it into being.

we recorded it, mixed it, shot the photos, cut the videos. we made the art, wrote the copy, wrangled the press, begged the favors, pulled the all-nighters. all of it. it’s DIY in the truest, most exhausting, most beautiful sense.

here’s what really goes into an independent album like this:

  • Studio rentals / production assistants: $5k

  • Additional mixing and mastering: $3k

  • Vinyl pressing: $2.5k

  • Photography, styling: $3k

  • Collaborators/session players: $2k

  • Social media ad spend: $6.5k ($375/mo over a few years is a modest budget)

  • Playlisting & Promotion: $4.5k

  • Music video production: $7k

  • Accounting / Legal / Business Expenses: $2k

  • Travel/Lodging For Tour: $3.5k

We’ve easily invested over $35,000 of our own money into this record - and that’s before a single album ships to you.

AND That’s why investing in this record isn’t just about supporting indie music. ✌️

it’s you dragging a chair up to the fire with us and saying:

fuck yes, i want uncompromising art in the world, and i’m willing to put my name (and cash) behind it.

FAQ

  • We lovingly handle every order ourselves. No giant warehouse! No conveyor belts! Please be patient with us as we pack and process everything by hand. Your order will be mailed within 2–4 weeks of purchase, and you’ll get a tracking email as soon as it’s on its way.

  • When you grab the digital edition of Great Pretender, you’re not just getting a folder of mp3s. You’ll receive:

    • The full studio album in high-quality digital formats (MP3, FLAC, and more).

    • The bonus live EP — rare recordings that will never be on streaming.

    • Three Mojave Desert concert films — private access to live performances captured under desert skies.

    All delivered instantly to your inbox, so you can start listening the moment you order.

  • Because we’re handling things with care! The vinyl ships directly from us (packed by hand, straight from the band), while merch like t-shirts, hats, and totes are printed and shipped by our dropshipping partner. That means your order may arrive in multiple packages and on different timelines. Don’t worry — everything’s on its way, and you’ll get tracking info for each shipment.

  • Every dollar goes directly into fueling independent art. We don’t have a label or a corporate machine behind us — it’s just us, our small team, and you. Your support covers the real costs of making Great Pretender: recording in the Mojave desert and Los Padres forest, mixing, mastering, vinyl pressing, artwork, merch production, and shipping. It also helps us keep creating music without compromise.

    THANKS TO YOU… you’re keeping this project alive.

  • Absolutely. Music is one of the best gifts there is. Just enter your friend’s shipping info at checkout and we’ll mail their vinyl or merch straight to them. For digital albums, we’ll simply forward you a unique download code after purchase that you can pass along as a gift.

    Want to add a personal touch? If you’re gifting a physical tier, drop us a note at [your support email] and we’ll include a handwritten message inside their package.

  • Honestly? Yes. Science has no data on it, but we’ve seen recent research out of Harvard and MIT.

  • You could, but all you’ll hear is “support indie music” over and over.

  • Perfect. This record looks hot even when it’s not spinning. But trust us — drop the needle at least once. You’ll thank yourself.

  • Highly encouraged. Zero judgment, full freedom.

  • Not guaranteed, but you’ll be holding frankincense-rose incense, Fore Fader artifacts, and a handwritten love letter while listening to soul-shattering music… so let’s just say your odds are good.

Great Pretender

THE NEW RECORD IS HERE & AVAILABLE only TO BACKERS LIKE YOU

ORDER NOW