Talking with Frute
Talking with the Band Frute
By Matt Busch
“It’s likely this whole thing would have never gone down the way it did if not for COVID” recalled Ben Mcentire of Frute. This is interesting because the organic way these musicians found each other flows into the music they create. Post-COVID, Cassidy Goff joined, offering a tactile sweeping harmony singing style that is dynamic and lifts their songs to new heights. Combine her vocals with keys and funk drum beats, and you can’t help but jump and dance.
I had an opportunity to speak with Matt Payne (guitar & vocals), Ben Mcentire (Drums), and Cassidy Goff (vocals) over the phone this past week. Almost right out of the gate, I recognized how the conversation became elevated to a high level, as we discussed the “sound space” being created. To put it bluntly, there are an array of topics we could have touched on, e.g., what life is like on the road? but this wasn’t that. What they said in response to my questions was like sugar to a diabetic; I wanted to hear what they would say next. So without further ado, let's get to it:
MB: There are an array of ways people maintain a creative environment. When you listen to Frute live versus what’s on Spotify, you see the creative challenge they embrace. For instance, Cassidy’s ability to layer her vocals on tracks is impossible to replicate on stage, and yet Matt and Jeff lock in time with her perfectly to offer that.
Ben: “I feel like we ‘live approach’ things and try to keep things fresh…I think Cassidy does a lot of really cool things in the live space that go along with our instrumental improvisation, she will create vocal improvisation that we don’t get to do as much in the studio, and yet we are still able to replicate the vibe and sonic space”
MB: With Frute's wide range of instrumentation and complexity, how did you discover this sound to which everyone actively contributes?
Band: “That’s something we’re always trying to push ourselves in. We spend a lot of time thinking about how to push and evolve our sound, and looking for inspiration to keep things freshThe first album was a collection of interests, but this last EP was a cohesive new sound,” said Ben and Matt.
MB: Has your sound changed since touring?
Ben: “One of the biggest things this year was a short period where we had to come up with 10 songs for an album. It became a full communal writing experience, creating a magical sound that felt cohesive, mixing different parts together.”
MB: With "Break the Wheel" and its singles released, when can we expect the full album?
Band: August 16th
MB: When someone comes to a show, what do you want them to walk away with, and what makes you unique?
Matt: “It's funny because we’ve had a hard time answering the question of what genre we are. We realize we can’t narrow it down because we are really passionate about creating and whatever it is we are creating is feeding that unique sound itself and not trying to fit within a category”
MB: That’s a good response because I can’t define it either. Listening to songs like “Make It Up”, I feel I’m hearing a Widespread Panic song— and it’s familiar yet fresh. How does that happen?
Cassidy: “Yeah, we all come from a loving jam-band background, which is present in our music. But I think another special thing we offer is focusing on our vocals and having a female presence”
Ben: “And we also get a lot of that from our experimental studio experiences of working with TJ Elias, out of Atlanta”
MB: What has working with TJ Elias provided the band?
Matt: “One cool thing with TJ is crafting the sound to feel less live. He’s like a mad scientist, always thinking outside the box. He’ll say, ‘Now we’re going to run your guitar through an ‘80s tape machine and four pedals, and it’s going to sound awesome.’ And it always does sound awesome,” said Matt, chuckling.
MB: Ben, are there any tracks you particularly enjoyed seeing develop off the new album?
Ben: “Break the Wheel, in a live setting, gets really loud and intense, it sounded warm as we recorded it, we really built the song from the ground up, building percussion over it, giving it a Latin touch and then there’s this really intense vocals back and forth between Cassidy and Patrick. And then Jeff’s guitar solo at the end, a lot of it grew in intensity and we didn’t have a vision for it and it’s really cool how it became this really amazing sound with tones we had never experimented with.”
Matt: “TJ had me pull out my old classical guitar that I used to play in college when I studied music, TJ had this vision with nylon strings and I love how it all came together.”
In closing, I enjoyed speaking with the bandmates. This sound is one I defy you not to dance to. I expect to see them at more venues and festivals, receiving the recognition they deserve. It’s beautiful. Thank you, guys, and Cassidy!