Fort Knox: From Stranger to Friends to Bandmates

By Arnashia Gray

March 27, 2025

Following the release of their first self-titled EP, on Feb. 21, local southern-rock band Fort Knox sat down with the Music Industry Club and WUTK 90.3 The Rock to share their journey from friends (and strangers) to bandmates. As well as the inspiration behind their latest work. 

The creation of the band started like many others, just a few friends looking to make music together. 

Carter Welch (vocalist), Matthew McMinn (keys/sax), Brooks Smith (drummer),  and Jackson Tallent (bassist) — all hailing from Nashville —  had been playing together long before the formation of the band in 2023. 

However, the now five-piece band gained its fifth member in a much more unlikely fashion. 

Backstage at a sorority talent show following their respective performances Welch met Jack Donovan, the now guitarist for Fort Knox. And the rest, as they say, is history. 

“I will never forget I was home in Atlanta for winter break and it was just like my highschool band, we were just jamming, practicing whatever and I saw you (Welch) were typing and were just like ‘Yo we’re starting a southern-rock band and we need a guy to play a bunch of solos’ and I was like bet,”  said Donovan recounting the memory of when he first got word of the band. 

Although the band is only a year old they have already made their mark, not only in Knoxville, but throughout cities and venues all across the south-east, including the infamous “Exit/In” in Nashville.

Exit/In is a milestone venue for many musicians and has been played by a multitude of well-loved artists such as The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Johnny Cash and Etta James.  On Jan 5, 2025, Fort Knox joined the line up. 

As a collective the band describes the show as being far different from any other gig they’ve ever played, partly being the fact it was the largest crowd they had ever had up until that point. 

“It's one of those things where you can hear your heart pounding in your throat and I’m sitting there like ‘Oh my God’,” said Welch. “I hadn’t seen the crowd at all so I get up there, there's lights and I’m walking up to the mic freaking out and I start singing and I was like ‘This is unreal.’”

Since then the band has been non-stop. The five have been hard at balancing student life, touring and the creation of their first self-titled EP.

The five track EP is a testament to the band's voice with a seamless blend of rock n’ roll, country and bluegrass influences.

Welch’s classic southern vocals work in tandem with the upbeat instrumentation. It's the cumulation of five minds coming together to create a unique sound.

The fourth track “Marigold Girl” – which is currently playing on WUTK 90.3 The Rock – features Welch’s girlfriend Sydney. The band agrees that adding the female harmonies is what helped to finish off the song and make it the track it is today. The song features soft guitar rhythms and a little help from the harmonica which come together to create a song that will surely become a Fort Knox staple. 

Similarly songs like “Trail Walkin’ Blues” maintain the same serene energy. However, the band has no issue transitioning into a vibe that is quite the opposite. 

The second track – and the band’s top streamed song on Spotify – Albany is the pinnacle of Fort Knox doing what they do best. It is a song that demands movement from anyone who listens. It features complex guitar solos from Donovan and Tallent while Smith shines on the Drums. Albany is a song that is meant to be heard live.

In the same vein, the third track “What You Give” is another example of song that demands movement. With the recurring piano melody from McMinn, it is unlikely to not feel compelled to move to the song. It features a multitude of improvisational moments, something that seems to have become the band's speciality, although it isn't obvious from how intentional the bad sounds.

The final track “The Black Fort” is a song that sounds like the end, but not in a morbid sense. It is a song that ends the same way it begins and feels like the perfect way to close out the EP.

Although it is composed of college students, Fort Knox has developed a sound so mature and unique, they could easily be mistaken for pros well beyond their years. The five friends have come together to develop as a well-established group despite the band only being a year old. With a number of accolades already under their belt, there is no limit to what the band will continue to achieve as their career grows.