Muddy Bottom Blues
Program #204 (February 14 at 8:00 p.m. and February 15 at 3:00 p.m.)
A spirited and versatile quintet that performs folk-rock with touches of soul, bluegrass, and country, Portland, Oregon's Fruition emerged in the early 2010s and quickly became darlings of the jam band and alt-country scenes.
Formed in 2008 by Jay Cobb (vocals/guitar/harmonica), Kellen Asebroek (vocals/guitar/piano), and Mimi Naja (vocals/mandolin/guitar), who each arrived in Portland from different spots in the U.S. Later, they recruited bassist Jeff Leonard and drummer Tyler Thompson to round out the group.
Their debut effort, Hawthorne Hoedown, was a rootsy, string-centric affair that lived up to its title. As Fruition grew, they incorporated more rock influences and focused on their songwriting.
The self-titled Fruition arrived in 2010, boasting a fully formed sound familiar to fans of Greensky Bluegrass, Railroad Earth, and even more mainstream acts like Lake Street Dive, Edward Sharpe, and the Lumineers. It Won't Be Long was issued in 2012, quickly followed by Just One of Them Nights the next year. After the release of the Holehearted Fools EP, Fruition unveiled their fourth effort, Labor of Love, which featured extended jam explorations incorporated into their signature rustic sound.
In 2018 they released their fifth album, Watching It All Fall Apart. Including singles "Northern Town" and "Turn to Dust," Watching also found the band experimenting with more electric, plugged-in production provided by Tucker Martine (My Morning Jacket, the Decemberists, First Aid Kit).
The group wasted little time getting back into the studio, releasing their next full-length effort, the self-produced Wild as the Night, Broken at the Break of Day, in early 2020.
(provided by Allmusic)
