Strangefruit

Strangefruit is a UK group whose sound brings together folk, vintage jazz, psychedelic influences and indie rock. The band describes itself through a focus on songs and musical substance rather than image, and its material is shaped by a mix of reflective and more forceful elements.

Background and members

The band includes Peter and Jamie Perrett, who are the sons of Peter Perrett of The Only Ones. Jamie Perrett is one of the band’s main voices. The brothers first play together with Seb Roachford of Polar Bear, Patrick Walden and Peter Doherty in the original line-up of Babyshambles. Doherty later invites Peter and Jamie to record in Bethnal Green, where the first version of “Killamangiro” is made. Doherty also lives with the brothers for a period before a trip to Thailand ends that arrangement.

Sound and influences

Strangefruit’s music draws on plangent folk, vintage jazz, fuzzed-out psychedelia and crunchy indie rock, and the group is associated with influences that include Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday, Fairport Convention, the Velvet Underground, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Patti Smith, Arcade Fire and David Lynch. The band performs songs with what it presents as soul, passion, bite and tension, and its material is described as both euphoric and reflective.

Activity and performances

The band plays its first gig in Japan and later performs with Dizzee Rascal and Florence + The Machine. It spends long periods developing its sound in Dalston’s Jazz Bar, and this playing history is part of its identity as a band that has worked out its own style over time.

Recording and studio work

Strangefruit records in sessions that prove productive: after going into the studio to record one song, the band comes out with seven. It also works with producer Matt Paul, who has worked with Adele, Amy Winehouse and Pink Floyd’s engineer Andy Jackson. Jenny, another member of the group, spends years singing in churches and choirs, and her voice is described as having a wide range and strong expression.

Approach

The group presents music as something that should be direct, personal and self-defined. Its members stress control over their own work, the value of building an artistic community, and the importance of playing only what they genuinely feel.