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Three years ago, almost out of lockdown and with all the political and financial baggage of the time, a little post-punk band released a self-titled record that made serious waves.
For some reason, Fake Fruit—that frisky, dashing, intellectual, playful, take-no-shit dynamo of a band led by Hannah D’Amato—cut through all the noise. All of it, with astute observations of put-upon annoyances. This was culture.
The debut fired up new fans across numerous musical division and took the band around the world and back, repping the Bay Area’s music community all the way.
And now we have Fake Fruit’s sophomore effort, Mucho Mistrust, which came out August 23 on Carpack Records.
We were very lucky that Hannah D’Amato had time to speak with us.
48HILLS The last time I saw Fake Fruit, you were opening for Alvvays at August Hall, a couple of years back. That was the first time I heard you in a larger venue, and it let me know for sure Fake Fruit was gonna hit. To hear your songs in front of a crowd who maybe were not as familiar, and still react very positively, just to hear the band do its jagged, push-pull, post-punk thing in that room? Dope!
So first off, what was it like to see the debut record take off and get to open for amazing bands such as ESG and Dry Cleaning (I wanted to catch those shows)—and just be in demand in a way the band had not been before?
HANNAH D’AMATO The reception to the first LP (and fingers crossed, our sophomore record) has continually outperformed my expectations. It’s been incredible and a treat to see people connecting with these songs and dancing at shows with us. I feel very lucky for all of the opportunities and experiences music has brought us since the first LP came out.
48HILLS So I’ve been lucky—real lucky—to hear the upcoming album Mucho Mistrust and man, somehow Fake Fruit put out an even more blitzkrieg-raucous punk album that’s, again, still vulnerable at the same time. I’ve been bumping the bejesus outta “Mas O Menos” and the single “Mucho Mistrust.” How was it writing this album with your band members Alex Post and Miles MacDiarmid? It was a first right?
HANNAH D’AMATO We had written a few songs collaboratively on the first record, and I had my heart set on writing the majority of songs for Mucho Mistrust together. What we come up with as a group is always exciting to me! The bulk of the songs on [the first] LP being written by me was more out of circumstance than intention. The dream was always to do more writing as a group.
48HILLS After the success of the previous album and the upcoming tour for this new record, do you feel that as a POC woman in the indie rock field, which has been dominated by mostly skinny white rock dudes, there is a shift happening? Is there more inclusion of other folks in that space happening IRT?
HANNAH D’AMATO I feel like there is a noticeable shift happening in this regard, but that doesn’t mean we’re done pushing for more representation. There’s a long way to go yet. But I do love seeing most of my favorite musicians absolutely skyrocketing and breaking through all of the barriers along the way!
48HILLS And the last question… When you are on tour, what particular food from the Bay Area do you wish for the most?
HANNAH D’AMATO Hmm, this is a really hard question as we are so food-rich in the Bay. I would have to say Sol Food, it’s my favorite restaurant that serves to-die-for Puerto Rican food. I bring a bottle of their salad dressing on tour!
Purchase Fake Fruit’s Mucho Mistrust here.
