Features : Fortitude Set to Release 10-track Album Featuring Single Fortitude

Musician Joseph Arbanas—otherwise known as Fortitude—is ready to release his debut project, a 10-track album featuring “Fortitude,” a single exploring the meaning of courage. Fortitude’s sound is a unique blend of hip hop and rap infused with elements of electronica and soul.

In order to write his single, Fortitude focused on what he believed to be the virtue of fortitude and courage. “I couldn’t think of a better way to represent it than through a soldier,” tells the artist. “As the song goes on, different stories are taking place. The first story is a soldier in the middle of a fight. He’s doing what he’s supposed to be doing. Then another soldier is diving into a tunnel. It’s an easier courage, but courage nonetheless.”

The first part of the second section describes WWI soldiers in the trenches. “They’re helpless, enemies are attacking, and they’re low on ammo, acknowledging imminent death,” adds Fortitude. “That’s the part, ‘This is the end, I will die, protecting the freedom of democracy.’ It’s bone-chilling courage.”

In the final scene of the song, we envision a Vietnam vet coming off a plane. “He meets the people he fought for, but they’re not there to congratulate him. They don’t want him there. They’re treating him like a villain even though he fought for them. He has to find the fortitude to push forward through that,” explains the artist. The song is not only a story, it’s an introspective look into layers and dimensions of what it means to have strength, to be courageous. Fortitude hopes that listeners develop appreciate for the brave men that have come before us. “It doesn’t have to be a soldier. Men of bravery in general,” he adds.

Born and raised in Wisconsin, Fortitude is a veteran of the U.S. Army and holds a bachelor’s degree in physics with a minor in mathematics. While he works in quality engineering, Fortitude moonlights as a musician.

“I enjoyed music growing up,” shares Fortitude. “I came from a very conservative family and didn’t have access to a lot of music. The CDs I remember listening to as a kid were U2. Then, when I first heard ‘In the End’ by Linkin Park, I thought the rap section was the coolest thing. I even printed the lyrics to rap along with it.”

His taste in music continued to change over the years. Fortitude’s introduction to rap began with the music of Drake and Lil Wayne. In addition to rap, Fortitude dabbled across a variety of genres: rock, country, indie, and then some.

“I started making music when I was 19 or 20. It was different stuff then—I played guitar and wrote simple lyrics. At 23, I started writing rap music. I always wrote poetry and had an idea for a song, so I wrote it. Then I found a beat on YouTube and practiced it. I made this song and started and then kept doing it,” tells Fortitude.

Another track Fortitude recommends off his 10-track album is “Pride Leads to Destruction,” a poetic portrayal of a man who becomes king and ruthless in his monarchy. The moral of the story? Beware of pride. “I read a lot of philosophy. I’m also a Catholic. One of the big virtues they reflect upon is humility,” tells Fortitude. “At the time, I was watching a move on Netflix about a king so I had that in mind. Then I thought about the Old Testament, where there were kings who did good and those who were evil; a few of the evil ones were struck down. At lot of rap today is glamorous—so I thought to myself, here’s a change to use that style to build this character up. He’s a badass king guy and then, boom, he meets his fate.”

“The album as a whole is meant to be a story,” shares the artist. “It’s ultimately poetry—my poetry. It’s not meant to send a message but to tell a story. No two tracks are the same—it’s all different cadences and speeds. The album shines brightest when listened to in its entirety.”

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