Americana band Fruition has just released their first album in four years, and How To Make Mistakes is a departure from what fans might have come to expect from this Portland, Oregon-based quintet. Across 15 years and numerous studio and live records, Fruition has been closely tied to the jamgrass world. This new record aligns their musical direction more closely to alternative/country/rock bands like the Jayhawks. In common with that influential Gary Louris-led Minneapolis co-ed quartet, on the new album Fruition blends traditional folk/rock with spacey melodies and signature vocal harmonies.
With the new record, Fruition (Jay Cobb Anderson, vocals, guitar, harmonica; Kellen Asebroek, vocals, guitar, piano; Mimi Naja, vocals, guitar, piano, mandolin; Jeff Leonard – bass; and Tyler Thompson, drums) chose to take a new approach to the recording process. Fruition self-produced the album and, for the first time, recorded all of the tracks live in the studio. The result is a collection that embraces the in-the-moment connection and feel of a working band, and songs that exude the love, growth, longing, and life experiences during their 15 years together and in their personal lives.
This is one of the most accomplished albums of its kind to be released this year, with writing and performances that are mature, smart, and perfectly performed. Perhaps the most impressive part of this offering is the collective economy and restraint in moments where others might be tempted to drop the sonic hammer. There’s a good amount here that will remind listeners of late-stage outings from the Band, where the songs moved from sounds that have come to be considered “Americana” toward productions that are more personal and upfront.
Fruition, How to Make Mistakes, album cover.
Copper caught up with Fruition member Jay Cobb Anderson and we talked about how the pandemic led the band to a sense of self-discovery and rebirth, and how this record ushered in a new recording approach, often for songs they’d kept in their back pockets for years. Everything from the music to the marketing of How to Make Mistakes has the band excited about the path forward.
Ray Chelstowski: You self-produced this album and recorded it live. With multiple songwriters in the group was it difficult to remain democratic in your decision-making?
Jay Cobb Anderson: We have self-produced records in the past. The record we put out before this one which we released in two [parts], was self-produced. One is called Wild As the Night, the other is called Broken At The Break Of Day. Labor of Love was [self-produced] as well. So, we are no stranger to self-production and we just wanted to get back to that. In terms of this being a “live” record, it was a breath of fresh air to do what we’re good at. We’ve always been a live band and we all love using the studio as an instrument. This one was probably the easiest to self-produce because we agreed to just do it live. We’ve been a band long enough that we listen to each other and are open to considering many different ideas. It’s pretty natural to us.
RC: You recorded at The Studio at eTown Hall in Boulder, Colorado. Had you used that room before?
JCA: We’d never recorded there before. The eTown studio there is connected to the building where they do the eTown radio [show], which we have done before. It’s such a great radio program. Nick Forster runs that and is a legendary musician in his own right in the bluegrass world. He’s a multi-instrumentalist, lives right down the road, and has virtually any instrument you could ever ask for. At one point I was asking him for random things and he had them. I never stumped him. The studio itself was exactly what we were looking for to be able to record together live. It also came with a crazy affordable price, so with the relationship we already had with Nick it became a no-brainer.
RC: This record has a decidedly different sound than anything you’ve done before. How did you decide on this new approach?
JCA: After we finally got back together after the pandemic, and not having seen each other in about a year, when we got together and started playing we saw that the magic was still there. It was almost like a rebirth. We’re older now and more mature. It’s now about making the art; that’s the only focus. At eTown we had a list of 17 songs, and some of the songs that made the record were actually written like 10 years ago. They just didn’t fit on any of the other Fruition records, but we’d always held on to them. We had seven days and we wanted to see if we could just get through all of them. It was a lofty goal and that’s why doing it all live without a lot of overdubs allowed us to hit all of the songs. When we looked at them all and how they would be pieced together, we found 13 that would have just a natural flow. You can tinker with a track list for a long time. But this one kind of naturally found its way more quickly that it had with past records, and we ended up loving the way it flowed.
Fruition. Courtesy of Kaja Sigvalda.
RC: Recording in studios is becoming rarer, and we are seeing many famous rooms close for good.
JCA: The thing about those big, beautiful studios closing down is that, in my mind, that’s where people have made the best art. But it does cost money to run them and the whole “DIY approach” [to recording] has taken the studio and thrown it out of the window. Most of my musician friends don’t have big label deals and there’s not as much money [to be made] with things like Spotify, so it’s harder to afford those studios. We actually almost did this record as Muscle Shoals because they have these programs tied to grants from the State to help bands afford it. So, we were very close to doing things there.
RC: When you go to your Apple Music page, the other acts they liken you to are bluegrass jam bands like Leftover Salmon. Has that pigeonholing hurt peoples’ potential to discover what you are really all about?
JCA: Our Spotify page has the same thing. When we came up we were in Portland playing on the street. One of the first festivals we ever played was the Northwest String Summit. So that kind of initiated us into working in the jamgrass world. And, since we have a mandolin in the band, people would often come up to us and say “man, I don’t even like bluegrass but I love you guys!” We’re not really bluegrass nor are we a jam band. We’re a song band, and are focused on what serves the song. But now we are making a very concerted effort to present ourselves as an Americana band.
RC: Previous album covers have featured intricate illustrations. This presents the band in as artful a way, but through photography.
JCA: Those pictures were taken by a photographer (Kaja Sigvalda) in Iceland. She was absolutely incredible and it was maybe the best photo experience we’ve ever had. We really got into these artistic poses and using the natural landscapes more than we ever have. It also felt like a beautiful way to add to the vibe of the record. Everything just kind of fell together. It was the magic of following the muse.
RC: For someone who doesn’t know your music, which song off of the new record do you think is the best point of access?
JCA: There are so many good ones. I’d say maybe a song like “Can You Tell Me.” It’s one of the older songs on the record. I wrote it over 10 years ago and it sums up a lot of our different vibes throughout the years. It’s dark but groovy, and it’s got all of the harmonies and everything. Also, I would suggest “The Price of Sound Advice.” The harmonies there have always been our bread and butter. So say one of those, if not both.
RC: You are about to head back out on the road. Is there anywhere on the new tour you haven’t been to that you are excited to visit?
JCA: I’m actually one of the few members of the band that doesn’t look too hard at where we’re going. I like to try to be as “present” as possible, which means being where I’m at. There are not a lot of places that we haven’t been. But Ashville, Washington D.C., and New York City are places we always enjoy playing. I’m just looking forward to being out there.
Header image courtesy of Kaja Sigvalda.
