Fairmont - Everything Is Fleeting

Fairmont, the New Jersey indie rock band in their 25th year of existence led by Neil Sabatino, returns with Everything Is Fleeting, a reflective and melodic new album that captures the band at one of its most thoughtful and emotionally direct points. Formed in 2001 following Sabatino’s departure from Pencey Prep, Fairmont has evolved from a solo acoustic project into a full band known for blending indie rock and indie pop across more than two decades of releases. With fourteen full-length albums and a bunch of EPs to their name, Fairmont’s steady presence has included notable radio success, culminating in 2024’s I Wish I Was Stupid, which marked the band’s highest NACC chart debut to date making the top 100. Everything Is Fleeting continues that trajectory while deliberately shifting the band’s sound and perspective.

One of the album’s most personal moments comes through a song written in memory of Andy Applegate, Fairmont’s drummer from 2003 until later health issues forced him to step away. Applegate played hundreds of shows with the band and remained deeply committed to music despite ongoing kidney-related health struggles. Released on what would have been Applegate’s 44th birthday, “Buy More Records” the first single serves as both a tribute and a celebration of his life, musical passion, and influence. Sabatino knew Applegate would be smiling down as the track mentions all of his favorite things; drums, records & Robert Pollard of Guided By Voices.

Everything Is Fleeting also contains a cover of Paul McCartney & Wings’ “Let ’Em In,” which will additionally appear on an upcoming Mint 400 Records compilation focused on 1970s songs. Sabatino used the guitar tuning from that track—capo’ed at the third fret—as the foundation for writing the rest of the album, allowing him to explore vocal melodies in a new range and subtly reshape Fairmont’s overall sound. Lyrically, the album reflects an older Sabatino looking back on past and recent interactions, navigating difficult relationships, personal boundaries, and moments left unsaid. Songs like “Shallow & Small” and “You For Lack Of A Better Term Are Impossible” lean into catharsis and clarity, resulting in a more mature, indie-pop-leaning record that embraces honesty, growth, and the passing nature of time.