On August 23rd, Oakland based post-punk band Fake Fruit dropped their heavy-hitting album Mucho Mistrust and we haven’t stopped listening! The album is Fake Fruit’s second full-length album, and shows off their accomplished cohesive sound while remaining unbound by genre categories. Earlier this year, the band released three singles off the album, all of which have kept a stable presence in our top 20 artists as seen on the BFF.FM charts! This week, Mucho Mistrust hit number one!

Recently, I sat down with Hannah D’Amato (Ham) and Alex Post to talk about how they’ve grown as a band, their recent album release, their thoughts on punk ethos, and their upcoming tour.

During our conversation, I asked Ham and Alex about their punk ethos and how it has influenced their storytelling.

Ham stated that she writes as a pedestrian, observing the world around her and capturing the feelings and tensions that come from that place. She stated that there is a necessary balancing act and practice of managing outside forces required to continue forward in the creative industry, while also maintaining autonomy and self-expression. Ham also shared the importance of finding like-minded artists who can feel these tensions and find ways to produce something from them. This approach is evident in their style of writing throughout their new album Mucho Mistrust.

The album Mucho Mistrust was written as a reaction to the global capitalist powers that limit self-expression, creativity, and autonomy in daily life and within the music industry. It is also about the necessity of skepticism in separating from and challenging these conformist spaces. The album is explorative, activating and lyrically empowering.

I asked Ham and Alex to share a little more about what they are excited for with the new album release and with their upcoming tour.

Alex expressed his enthusiasm about releasing this long-awaited record, after two years in the making. He expressed the sense of relief that comes with releasing a project following such dedication and time, and their gratitude that they have already received such positive feedback from the public. Ham and Alex are thrilled for the upcoming tour, getting to share their new album with others, connect with friends, try new foods, and see new cities throughout the country. Alex mentioned his excitement about touring with Baton-Rouge local band Spllit, who are both friends and creative inspirations to the band. Ham shared that the tour will include playing a headlining show in Brooklyn for the first time, which is significant as the birthplace of the project and a sentimental milestone moment for their band’s success since then.

Mucho Mistrust is Fake Fruit’s first album release under Carpark Records, making this new release significant for both parties and the start of a new working relationship with the label.

Ham and Alex are excited and grateful for the opportunity to work with Carpark Records and shared about the importance of having comradery with like-minded labelmates, such as Rui Gabriel, who express similar tensions with the broader music industry. Being added to the Carpark roster increases their proximity to these like-minded artists and presents new open doors and collaborations for the band creatively and personally in their continued expansion. Carpark Records, for the band, has been an ongoing source of support throughout the record production process, and they expressed their gratitude and excitement for all that is to come in the future.

Two years in the making, the album Mucho Mistrust showcases that Fake Fruit is a unified collective. As heard in the record, the band is tight and clean and is fully in sync as a unit. Fake Fruit recorded the album in only two days, and had it produced mostly live, with the support of audio-engineer Jack Shirley. Mucho Mistrust was produced with the intention of replicating their live shows, giving audiences a sense of what to anticipate when buying tickets for their upcoming tour. The album is a must-listen and can be found on all streaming platforms now.

Starting September 7th, Fake Fruit will be kicking off their tour at Kilowatt in San Francisco and ending their travels back in San Francisco for an album release party at The Chapel on Friday, November 22nd! Don't miss out! Tickets are available below.

See Fake Fruit Live at Kilowatt on September 7

See Fake Fruit Live at The Chapel on November 22

Cover photo by Daniel Topete