Oakland band Fake Fruit set to make Stern Grove debut
This weekend, Oakland art-punk band Fake Fruit is set to take the stage at Stern Grove, providing support for headliner, indie-rock songwriter Alex G.
Lead singer Hannah "Ham" D'Amato says she couldn't be more thrilled about playing to such a big audience.
"I'm so excited! It's actually going to be my first time going. I have a bunch of friends and family who've been to shows before, and they've always raved about it," D'Amato said.
D'Amato's journey in music began years ago, driven by a desire to follow her instincts and release her own work. As a Latina leading a post-punk group, she acknowledges the rarity of her position.
"Being a Latina, fronting a band in this genre, it's like, I'm a very rare species," she laughed. "So it's cool to represent that."
Growing up, D'Amato found inspiration in artists like Selena, who successfully navigated multiple musical worlds.
"I kind of gravitated toward a certain type of music, but I wasn't seeing a lot of representation. And now that I'm kind of holding that space, it's important to me that I'm singing some of the songs in Spanish, and translating stuff and making sure that it remains accessible," she said.
Fake Fruit released their eponymous debut on Rocks In Your Head Records in 2021 and have only grown in popularity since then, opening for bands like Deerhoof and ESG as well as headlining a night of the Rickshaw Stop's 20th Anniversary Bash last January. The band is preparing to release its sophomore album, Mucho Mistrust, on Carpark Records later this month.
For D'Amato, one of the most rewarding aspects of touring is the deepening connection with her bandmates.
"The way that we've all grown together, and the experiences we've already been so lucky to have, really feels like something you can only do if you're a touring musician. It's been a really big gift," she explained.
As Fake Fruit prepares for their performance, D'Amato is eager to share their music and connect with supporters, continuing to pave the way for greater representation in the San Francisco Bay Area alternative-rock music scene.
Dave Pehling contributed to this story.