RIPE for success.Tired of meat-and-potatoes music? Try Fruit, an eclectic, energetic, band from Australia "It started off as a project, and it ended up being a lifestyle," says Mel Watson, one of three female lead vocalist-songwriters of Fruit, the quirky, prodigiously talented independent acoustic funk-pop group from Adelaide, Australia. The five-part ensemble--composed of one straight man and four women, including out lesbians Watson and Susie Keynes--have been touring virtually nonstop since getting together in 1995, ripening ripening said of meat. See curing. on the vine of festival and pub performances, winning over fans both gay and straight in Australia, Asia, Europe, North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. , and South America South America, fourth largest continent (1991 est. pop. 299,150,000), c.6,880,000 sq mi (17,819,000 sq km), the southern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. . The group's ever-increasing worldwide fan base reflects the depth of its talent; the Fruit lineup crackles crackles a small, sharp sound heard on auscultation. Caused by dry, bristly hair and insufficient pressure on the stethoscope head. Also characteristic of emphysema, especially when it is subcutaneous. with creative energy and brute musical force. In performance Watson, a multi-instrumentalist, works her way through half a dozen wind instruments (flute, trumpet, saxophones among them), plays guitar, and periodically pulls a harmonica harmonica. 1 The simplest of the musical instruments employing free reeds, known also as the mouth organ or French harp. It was probably invented in 1829 by Friedrich Buschmann of Berlin, who called his instrument the Mundäoline. from her pocket. Keynes, another of the group's songwriters, plays acoustic and electric guitar as she belts out funk, jazz, and pure pop riffs. Sam Lohs also writes, plays guitar, and sings, providing the clearest, sweetest sound of Fruit's strong female voices. Classically trained percussionist Catherine Oates gave up her drum set and now plays bass for the band, and the group's newest member (and only male), Yanya Boston, serves as a one-man rhythm section Noun 1. rhythm section - the section of a band or orchestra that plays percussion instruments percussion section, percussion section - a division of an orchestra containing all instruments of the same class . With such musical diversity in its ranks, Fruit makes music that is eclectic, to say the least, defying genrefication and clever comparisons: It's reggae, jazz, funk, rock, pop--it's just plain good. "It's amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. the kind of people that enjoy our shows," says Keynes. "Our oldest [audience member] was 94, and she was absolutely blown away, really enjoyed herself. I think she thought she was going to see a string quartet string quartet Ensemble consisting of two violins, viola, and cello, or a work written for such an ensemble. Since c. 1775 such works have been perhaps the predominant genre of chamber music. ." "The other extreme," chimes in Watson, "is when we played at the 1999 California World Music Festival. This 11-year-old kid came up to us and said, 'You guys are better than Metallica.'" Fruit's appeal transcends borders and boundaries, but the group's well-crafted tunes have a decidedly gay voice. Songs like "Body Breakdown" (about a friend deported for being HIV-positive), "One Bite (of the Apple)" (about what happens when the perfect man meets the perfect man), and "Gossip Queen" (the title says it all) instantly connect with gay men and lesbians. Fruit will be on the road all summer. And over the past three years the group has recorded three albums, including the 1998 live disc Shift and this year's Limited U.S. Release EP, all of which the band sells online. Thanks to the Web, Fruit can market itself without major-label backing and keep in touch with fans around the world. "It really has made all the difference for us, being able to post tour diaries and the like," says Keynes. The touring, the recording, the Web site--it's paying off. The buzz is that Fruit is the next best thing from Down Under. "It's the music, the energy of the performances," says Keynes, explaining the group's wave of success. "The combination of these five musicians Five Musicians (also known as FM) was a music group / netlabel with origins in the demoscene. It was active between the years 1995 and 2000. The idea of limiting the group to only five members caused the group to be very selective. is more than the stun of its parts." Tate is a Los Angeles--based writer and a regular contributor to RadioSpy.com. |
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