Fruition + Front Country

Moe's Alley proudly presents a Bluesgrass & Americana Roots double bill featuring FRUITION out of Portland & FRONT COUNTRY out of the Bay Area.

ABOUT FRUITION
Sharing a common love of music and life on the road, Fruition were originally brought together by the lure of adventure. For the last six years, the Portland, Ore. string infused quintet has racked up the miles playing sold out shows in their adopted hometown and garnering new fans across the country. Fruition released Just One of Them Nights in 2013 and it’s an album that finds the band tackling the many struggles and successes that come along with living a vagabond lifestyle and the search for artistic clarity.

Fruition have become arduous road warriors traveling the country and showcasing their adventures and experiences through song. In 2011, Fruition recorded the EP It Won’t Be Long. Soon after, the group’s three prominent songwriters, Jay Cobb Anderson, Kellen Asebroek and Mimi Naja, discovered they had penned over forty tunes. The band knew it was time for the next level of their journey – to create a top-notch album recorded in a professional recording studio and capturing their foot-stomping, high-energy string-infused songs. The only hitch… where was a nomadic group of independent musicians going to find the funds to create this high caliber album? The answer came in the form of a successful Kickstarter campaign in which Fruition surpassed their goal of $20,000 through the help of diehard fans, friends, and family.

Though Just One of Them Nights captures a breadth of musical styles, it debuted at #11 on Soundscan’s Bluegrass chart. The album was recorded at Old School Studios in Casper, CA on Highway 1 and features eleven original songs. The first single from the album, “Mountain Annie,” has become an Americana classic and garnered steady airplay at SiriusXM’s JamOn. The song’s steady gait and memorable melody hook audiences on first listen while Jay Cobb’s lyrics address longing for a lover who is no longer present. On Kellen’s “Blue Light,” the band ventures into electric Rock ‘n Roll territory and quickly transitions into a traditional country rhythm without missing a beat. “Blue Light” features exuberant solos from Jay on guitar and Mimi on mandolin offering fans a taste of what’s in store for fans at the band’s live shows. “The Wanter,” penned by Mimi, the band erupts into a classic bluegrass inferno of fast and furious string picking showcasing their skill as well as some of their influences. And on “Get In” the band slow it down a notch capture the mood of swimming in a languid ocean. The track sounds both fresh and familiar peppered with three-part harmonies and Mimi on mandolin.

Over the years, Fruition have toured with or collaborated with members of Railroad Earth, ALO, Infamous Stringdusters, Leftover Salmon, Greensky Bluegrass, Elephant Revival and The Head and The Heart. They’ve thrilled audiences at festivals including High Sierra Music Festival, Northwest String Summit and All Good Music Festival, and played for packed rooms at Portland, OR’s Crystal Ballroom, Boulder, CO’s Fox Theater, San Francisco’s Fillmore as well as the Great American Music Hall, Boston, MA’s Brighton Music Hall and more. With no signs of slowing down, the band takes each day as it comes. From broken down vans and whiskey shots, to the lovers and loved-ones who check-in through the miles, at the end of the day it’s Just One of Them Nights for this talented bunch who are experiencing a radiant present and looking towards an even brighter future. An upcoming EP recorded with their friends in Colorado’s Grant Farm is due for release this fall.

ABOUT FRONT COUNTRY

Formed in 2011 as a collective of the Bay Area’s finest young acoustic talent, Adam Roszkiewicz, Jacob Groopman, Jordan Klein, Leif Karlstrom, Melody Walker and Zach Sharpe joined forces to play a monthly gig with friends in San Francisco’s Mission District. They quickly found a musical rapport that was open to challenging arrangements, unique covers and original songwriting. Since then they have continued to expand their repertoire and push the boundaries of bluegrass on the national scene. In 2012 they won the Rockygrass band competition in Colorado and followed up in 2013 with a win at Telluride becoming the third band in history to win both contests. Also in 2013 lead singer Melody Walker won the Chris Austin Songwriting competition at Merlefest and mandolinist Adam Roszkiewicz was nominated for Grammy for his work with the Modern Mandolin Quartet on their album "Americana".

2013 and early 2014 has seen Front Country break onto the national scene with festival performances at Rockygrass, Old Settlers Music Festival, Wintergrass, Grass Valley Bluegrass Festival and many others along with headlining performances at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. In addition to performances at Telluride, Summergrass and IBMA's Wide Open Bluegrass Festival, 2014 will see the release of their highly anticipated debut album "Sake of the Sound" in September. Chris Pandolfi of the Infamous Stringdusters says of the album "Front Country have arrived, the latest acoustic ambassadors to emerge from the California coast. This first album will certainly serve them well, meeting all the technical criteria without getting lost in, focusing instead on the substance of these great songs. They represent their roots well, both musical and geographical, but the door is clearly open to transcend both. With 'Sake of the Sound,' Front Country are well on their way"

"Front Country draw on the ever valuable lessons of bluegrass while making music that is distinctly their own........Front Country have arrived, the latest acoustic ambassadors to emerge from the California coast" Chris Pandolfi (Infamous Stringdusters)

"Front Country's willingness to stretch the bluegrass boundary while maintaining the acoustic integrity of the music will solidify them as one of the top new bands on the acoustic / bluegrass scene" Woody Platt (Steep Canyon Rangers)