The Bottom String Session w/ Embarrassing Fruits

Photo credit to J Caldwell

Embarrassing Fruits are a band that many have come to love in the North Carolina scene.  The band has always exhibited the feel-good rock vibe of the 90's, and with their latest release they proved their maturity as  a band while still keeping their trademark style.  Embarrassing Fruits kicked off WKNC's "Fridays on the Lawn" series with Birds and Arrows last week and after their performance they sat down to talk with The Bottom String and do a few songs.  The band talked about everything from the writing process for the new album to their excitement to play at the newly re-opened Kings.

Embarrassing Fruits will be playing at Kings Barcade on Saturday, October 23 with The Moaners and Grand Champeen.  For more info check out http://kingsbarcade.com/


The band performed two acoustic songs, "Bicycle" and "Someday", which can be found on our Youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/thebottomstring

TBS:

One thing I've heard a lot of people say about "Frontier Justice" is that the sound shows that you guys have "matured" as a band.  With that in mind did you guys change your songwriting process for this record?

Joe:

Yeah, we definitely changed our songwriting process a lot.  We started having Lee input more songs that were semi finished but with flourishes from the band.  Yeah, we really just started letting other people write the songs

TBS:

A lot of comparisons are drawn to the mid-90's indie sound with you guys.  Did you grow up listening to that type of music?

Lee:

Not as much on my side.

John:

With me and Joe definitely.  I think it's safe to say that Lee has more of a classic rock heritage in some ways.

Lee:

Yeah, but I mean I've gotten into that stuff since I started hanging out with them.  I mean, it's been my songwriting more or less for the last two years.

Joe:

I think we all pretty much did the Nirvana thing too.  Everyone our age that got us interested in playing guitar, that got us going.  Then you start figuring out that there's more to that genre than meets the eye like with Pavement and all those bands.  Some of the local stuff really struck me like Polvo, Archers, and Superchunk.  Even bands like The Raymond Brake that were less well known from like Greensboro.  I got into them in college.  I mean it's been an evolution.

John:

It seems to me like the 90's was the last time that rock music could kind of be loud and kind of smart at the same time.

Joe:

Yeah, Guided By Voices are a big thing for us...but we like new music too.  Not just 90's stuff.

TBS:

So being a band in the North Carolina scene usually means you're intertwined with a lot of the other bands.  What are some of your favorite local acts?

John:

Saturday night Velee has their CD release, and that's going to be awesome.

Joe:

Yeah, theres The Moaners, too.  Blag'ard is one of our favorite bands.  Hammer.  Our label mates, Butterflies.

Lee:

It's hard listing them off because we'll definitely miss like ten of them.  But wild wild geese too.

John:

Yeah, wild wild geese have been a new love for us.

Joe:

Yeah, we're pretty tapped into the local scene.  Odessa Records does everything that is awesome.  Americans in France, we're playing a show with them on November 18 and we like their sound a lot.  It's a lot different than a lot of the other bands around here.

John:

And Whatever Brains.

TBS:

What about favorite venues?

Lee:

Spazzatorium.

John:

Yeah, Spazzatorium in Greenville no longer exists.

Joe:

Yeah, I like Slims too, in Raleigh.  It was a lot of fun there.  In Chapel Hill thats a tougher one.  Probably Local 506, The Cave, Nightlight...it's all good.

John:

Yeah, The Cave in particular is always like a rowdy, fun show.  Tir Na Nog is good and I'm sure Motorco is going to be good.

TBS:

What's coming up for Embarrassing Fruits?  You just put out your sophomore record, is there any touring planned or anything?

Joe:

We're working on, or we're going to start working on, doing some small tours but only like weekend stuff.

John:

Yeah, Joe and I work full time and Lee is in grad school so we're pretty committed to our lives here and it's not the easiest thing to just up and go.

TBS:

What new releases have you guys been listening to lately?

Joe:

Deerhunter's new record Halcyon Digest.  I love the new Ariel Pink, I've been liking Ariel Pink's stuff for a while now.  I think it's really creative, but that's me.

John:

New stuff?  The new Phosphorescent record is pretty wild.

Lee:

The only new stuff I've really listened to has been local bands.  The new Moaners record was really good.  Wild wild geese was good.  Some friends of ours Secret Message Machine are out of Greensboro, definitely check them out.

TBS:

With Kings re-opening in Raleigh and Motorco Music Hall finally up in Durham, how does it feel to be in the middle of it all?  I know you guys are playing at King's next week, are you guys excited to play there?

John:

Well, we never played at King's in the first place because I think it either closed down or we were in Greensboro when it closed down at the very beginning of the band.  I mean I've seen a lot of great shows there and I'm sure you have too, Joe.  I think that playing at the new King's as one of the first shows is really, really cool.

Joe:

Yeah, we're definitely really stoked about the new King's.

TBS:

What upcoming NC releases are you guys looking forward to the most?

John:

Velee manana.  Tuesday it's in stores.  Filthy Birds has a new record coming out.

TBS:

Labelmates, Butterflies?

John:

Of course, Butterflies!

Joe:

Yeah, I actually did the layout for that record.  Josh is my roommate.  We've been playing together, the three of us and another guy who plays in Phosphorescent now, since back in high school, in the early days.

John:

Yeah, it's been ten years.