Last we heard from Fake Fruit, the Oakland post-punk trio was sharing a music video for the song “Milkman” from their 2021 debut LP (as well as their official stance on milk consumption, in case you were curious). Three years later and their conceptual visuals and searing-indictment guitar rock have only grown stronger, as proven today with the release of a new song called “Mucho Mistrust” which serves as the title track for their forthcoming debut for Carpark Records. Recorded with producer Jack Shirley (largely known for his work on much louder albums), the new LP sees vocalist Hannah D’Amato filing grievances with the ever-unfurling banner of late-capitalist schemes—such as an increasingly hostile music industry—in talky, slacker cadences. You know, post-punk shit.
“Mucho Mistrust,” however, zooms in on D’Amato’s person life as its stressed-but-composed verses give way to rousing, cathartic choruses. “There were big life changes and I was so close to boiling over,” she shares. “I left a bad relationship, entered a more stable and loving one, got diagnosed with alopecia, and I'm turning 30 soon, too. This song was a snapshot of how I got through a difficult year.”
The track’s video was directed by labelmate Jimmy Whispers, who shifts the narrative to predatory televangelism as D’Amato plays the angel to drummer Miles MacDiarmid’s preacher/devil for a poor woman (played by D’Amato’s grandmother) on the verge of writing a check out to Kingdom of Heaven LLC. Check it out below, and pre-order Mucho Mistrust here ahead of its August 23 release.
