Fruition, How to Make Mistakes

Three songwriters. Five bandmates. More than 15 years together, building a grassroots audience with a combination of stacked vocal harmonies and collaborative, song-driven Americana. Fruition is proof that there's strength in numbers.

How To Make Mistakes, the band's first studio album in four years, showcases a reinvigorated group at the peak of its powers. This is American roots music at its broadest and boldest — a melting pot of rock, soul, folk, and pop. What began as a busking string band has evolved into something more eclectic, rooted not only in the unique delivery of three different singers, but also the cohesion of five friends who prefer their music to be homegrown and honest… mistakes and all.

"This is the first studio album that we've recorded entirely live," says Jay Cobb Anderson, who shares frontperson duties with fellow multi-instrumentalists Mimi Naja and Kellen Asebroek. "We recorded 17 songs in 7 days, with everybody playing together in real time, and we didn't overdub anything. The songs sound honest and real. They sound like us."

Co-produced by the bandmates themselves, How To Make Mistakes restores the momentum that Fruition nearly lost in 2020, back when Covid-19 forced them off the road and into quarantine. At the time, they'd been playing some of the biggest shows of their lives, crisscrossing the country in support of their most recent release, Broken At The Break Of Day. The album's lead single, "Dawn," had even become a hit on Americana radio. Years of relentless work had taken a toll on Fruition's mental health, though, and cracks were starting to show in the band's foundation. "We were so deep into the tour hustle that a lot of our cohesive vision might've gotten lost," Naja admits. "Like anybody in any work force, we'd all learned to put our heads down and keep moving forward, even if that wasn't the best thing for us."

When they reunited one year later for a long-overdue band practice, they took stock of everything that had changed during those 12 months apart. Some members had started families. Others had gotten sober. All of them had made the conscious decision to return to music. Fruition funneled that growth and maturity back into their new songs, which doubled as rallying cries for a band eager to chase down success once again. "We all had the time to ask ourselves some big questions like 'Do we want to keep doing this?'" Naja adds. "The fact that we reunited in such a reinforced way after all that time apart… I think it says a lot about who this band truly is."

And who, exactly, is Fruition? On songs like "Lonely Work," they're a folk-rock band powered by pedal steel and lovely, loping tempos. On "Scars," they're a group caught halfway between the earthy textures of Americana and the spacey sweep of something far more ethereal. On "Get Lost," they're a group of adventure seekers looking to leave the big city behind, stacking their electric guitars into harmonized solos along the way. Fruition's acoustic roots are evident throughout How To Make Mistakes, too, from "Can You Tell Me" — a rough 'n' rowdy folk song laced with resonator guitar, mandolin, and upright bass — to the campfire ballad "Never Change." How To Make Mistakes embraces the full spread of the band's past and present, mixing unplugged instruments with electrified arrangements, creating a sound suitable for arenas one minute and front-porch picking parties the next. It's the widest net Fruition has ever cast, and it's also the truest representation of the band's wide, all-encompassing sound.

"When I think about this record, the word that comes to mind is 'trust,'" says Asebroek. "We trust each other. We trust the strength of our songs. We've come to really know ourselves as individuals and as partners, and instead of trying to prove something to the outside world, we're trying to show the world that we are who we are, and we love ourselves."

When Fruition formed in Portland in 2008, the band's three songwriters earned their first fans by busking together on Oregon's street corners. Those informal gigs were raw and real, filled with all the honest imperfections of a live performance. Hundreds of shows later, How To Make Mistakes revisits that flaws-and-all approach, using it as the foundation for the most definitive album of the band's career. Tracked live at eTown Hall's recording studio in Colorado and engineered/mixed by the band's own drummer, Tyler Thompson, it's an album that embraces not only the in-the-moment immediacy of a live band, but also the love, longing, loss, and sheer life lived during the band's 15+ years together.

"If you listen closely," Anderson points out, "you can hear tempos fluctuate. Maybe you'll have somebody finger-picking slightly out of time. But that's part of the whole idea of learning to embrace your true identity. We're a band that would rather lean into a mistake than use studio tricks to erase it. With How To Make Mistakes, we wanted to say, 'This is us, with all of our flaws and all of our strengths.'"

All of their strengths, indeed. Collaborative, consistent, and musically cohesive, How To Make Mistakes is the sound of a band rededicating itself to the long haul.

Ozomatli 

If Los Angeles had a soundtrack, it would be Ozomatli. Since 1995, the multi-genre, six-piece band has blended Latin, hip-hop, funk, reggae, and global influences into an unmistakable sound that captures the city’s energy and diversity. Emerging from LA’s politically charged streets, Ozomatli has spent 30 years uniting communities through music, earning three GRAMMY® Awards, performing at the Hollywood Bowl, and touring worldwide—from LA to New York and Tunisia to Mongolia. Their socially conscious lyrics and infectious grooves have made them a beacon of unity, resilience, and celebration. As they embark on their fourth decade, Ozomatli remains a living testament to the past, present, and future of Los Angeles—continuing to inspire and move hearts, minds, and dance floors across the globe.

DJ Sonny Goodnight

Sonny Goodnight aka “syunsxyuna” is a Beatmaker and DJ from Taos pueblo. Growing up in a melting pot of Latin and Native cultures, as well as playing samba songs on the guitar, played a significant role in his research on musical genres including Amapiano, Afrobeat, Brazilian Funk/ baile funk, Latin, Trap, House, Hip hop, chill baile, neo baile soul, Classicos Samba, cumbia, chicha, salsa, and more.

Barrington Levy, born on April 30, 1964, in Clarendon, Jamaica, is a reggae and dancehall artist renowned for his soulful voice and influential contributions to the genre. Rising to prominence in the late 1970s, Levy gained recognition for his distinctive vocal style and powerful stage presence.

Levy’s breakthrough came with the release of his debut album, “Bounty Hunter,” in 1979, featuring hits like “Collie Weed” and “Bounty Hunter.” Known for his ability to seamlessly blend reggae with elements of dancehall and R&B, Levy became a prominent figure in the Jamaican music scene during the early 1980s.

One of his most iconic tracks, “Here I Come,” released in 1985, solidified his international success and remains a classic in reggae history. Levy’s lyrics often touch on themes of love, social issues, and his Rastafarian faith, showcasing his versatility as a songwriter. His collaboration with producer Junjo Lawes resulted in some of his most memorable works.

Throughout his career, Barrington Levy has released numerous albums, including “Prison Oval Rock,” “Too Experienced,” and “Divine,” earning him critical acclaim and a dedicated global fanbase. Levy’s impact endures, making him a respected and influential figure in the world of reggae and dancehall.

SHINYRIBS

LEAVING TIME

We will maybe never know what Shinyribs is. Sometimes, it’s a sprawling multi-piece ensemble slapping the air until it grooves; sometimes he’s a somber subtle songwriter pouring poetry on the ground from a cup half full. Either way it’s always the house-party-meets-library that is, Kevin Russell.

Raised in Beaumont, TX, and Shreveport, LA—the cradle of swamp pop, Leadbelly, and bayou R&B—Russell distills those regional sounds into something both timeless and immediate, dripping from his fingers like honey, salt & fat. Think Texas Gulf Coast meets Muscle Shoals, songs carved and weaved by hand with a storyteller’s heart.

Shinyribs evolved from a solo residency Russell began under that moniker in the mid-2000s, after an incident in a Houston club, playing a private party for a group of welders where he bought a homeless woman a plate of ribs. “Her name was Roberta,” says Russell. “She was a high priestess of transistor radios and an almost forgotten music she called ‘Chilibump.’ For that plate of Ribs that night she gave me in return a name, Shinyribs and a road map to the mysterious big thicket sounds I had only heard of from old timers and time travelers.”

With Leaving Time produced by David Beck (Texan Weekend, Blue Healer), Russell parks the party bus behind the venue and sits in a lawn chair in the street lights with the bugs and a dingy moon. Joined by extraordinary bassist, arranger and co-producer, Mason Hankamer, keyboardist Jonny Keys (Uncle Lucius), drummer Dees Stribling and Mr. Beck singing gourd- like harmonies while handling multiple Instrumental touches, Leaving Time is a departure and an arrival showcase of Russell’s long evolution as a classic Texas songwriter. The songs reconnect with Russell’s literary roots, the folk and country influences that shaped his work with The Gourds, and the ever-present irreverence guiding his musical journey since his early years.

Kevin Russell - Shinyribs - invites you into his junkyard of juke, his shack of shakin’ souls, for a Sunday evening sit down, a slow sound for a sweet night. When the time is just right for Leaving, let ya mind wander into believing.

It’s Leaving Time.

Terrance Simien and The Zydeco Experience 

When it comes to Creole culture and Zydeco music, two-time Grammy award winning Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience represent hard. They  repre-sent the past, the present and the future of American roots music. This six piece inter-generational and multicultural group is highly skilled, formally trained and are very ex-perienced performers.Their expertly curated repertoire is a hypnotic blend of zydeco-roots-reggae-gospel-old soul-funk and New Orleans jazz. This unforgettable  live music experience inspires joy, hope and a deep feeling of community.  

Zydeco is the roots music of Black and multiracial, French speaking Creoles of Louisiana. The main instruments are accordion and frottoir (zydeco rubboard) driven by African and Caribbean rhythms, and in the case of this dynamic group, anchored by extraordinary lead vocals and harmonies. Meet the group: Terrance Simien, (accor-dion, vocals)  Danny Williams (keyboards, vocals), Stan Chambers (bass guitar, vo-cals), Ian Molinaro-Thompson (drums), Noah Boshra (saxophone) and a rotating  trombone or trumpet.    

True to himself and his deep roots, Simien is an 8th generation Creole whose family is documented in history books as one of the first families of Louisiana. Simien personi-fies authenticity in every imaginable way as he continues to redefine his genre and ele-vate its visibility. Now enjoying legendary status of an accomplished 40+ year career, Simien, his bandmates/collaborators have toured to more than 40 countries and per-formed 8500+ concerts. The only one of its kind, their Creole for Kidz and the His-tory of Zydeco youth, family and student educational program was developed 25 years ago for K-12 and college students. This dynamic live performance with a study guide has helped raise the cultural IQ of 250,000 students, parents and teachers. 

Their music has been featured in multiple theatre released films and the band has made on screen appearances as well. One of their proudest moments was having zydeco featured in an historic Disney film, The Princess and the Frog that featured their first Black princess. Terrance collaborated with the legendary Randy Newman on the zydeco song for the movie soundtrack, but it was having the word zydeco spoken in the film that was just as important for the genre! Their music is also featured on a new theme ride based on the film, and at both U.S. Disney theme parks. They also have a song and a Disney compilation CD of the music heard on the new ride.  

Their music has also been placed in many TV adverts and they’ve had feature stories in every major newspaper and respected music publications, like Rolling Stone and Bill-board Magazine. They’ve recorded with the likes of Paul Simon, Art Neville, Dennis Quaid, the Meters, Marcia Ball and Dr. John to name a few. They’ve toured with Los Lobos, the late Robert Palmer, Dave Matthews Band and even had Steve Wonder join them on their their stage to play harmonica on their zydeco song!  

DJ Miles Bonny

 Miles Bonny is one of the more prolific musicians to call Taos home. The eclectic musician has his name on more than 14 albums and even more released singles. "9 beats," the newest of his musical children, may leave casual Bonny listeners surprised as it diverges from the usual R&B and soul vibe that we’ve come to expect from the artist. But Miles has deep roots in hip-hop mixing and beat production. “Basically, my history with making music started with trumpet and then beats,” Bonny explained.

Robert Earl Keen, a renowned singer-songwriter from Houston, Texas, has built a prolific career over three decades with a focus on writing and performing his own songs. His ambition to create great music and share it onstage has led to 21 albums and countless live performances, earning him recognition as a living legend and pioneer in the Americana music genre. Keen's influence extends beyond his music, as he was instrumental in popularizing Americana style and continues to support fellow artists through his Americana Podcast. Raised on classic rock and Willie Nelson, Keen's early passion for music evolved into a successful career, highlighted by accolades such as the Texas A&M Distinguished Alumni Award and induction into the Texas Heritage Songwriters’ Hall of Fame. Despite his success, Keen remains true to his roots, avoiding mainstream country trends and staying committed to his authentic, storytelling style. With a dedicated fan base and a reputation as a dynamic live performer, Robert Earl Keen's journey continues to inspire audiences across the country.

Vieux Farka Toure

Often referred to as “The Hendrix of the Sahara”, Vieux Farka Touré was born in Niafunké, Mali in 1981. He is the son of legendary Malian guitar player Ali Farka Touré, who died in 2006. Ali Farka Touré came from a historical tribe of soldiers, and defied his parents in becoming a musician. When Vieux was in his teens, he declared that he also wanted to be a musician. His father disapproved due to the pressures he had experienced being a musician. Rather, he wanted Vieux to become a soldier. But with help from family friend the kora maestro Toumani Diabaté, Vieux eventually convinced his father to give him his blessing to become a musician shortly before Ali passed.

Vieux was initially a drummer / calabash player at Mali’s Institut National des Arts, but secretly began playing guitar in 2001. Ali Farka Touré was weakened with cancer when Vieux announced that he was going to record an album. Ali recorded a couple of tracks with him, and these recordings, which can be heard on Vieux’s debut CD, were amongst his final ones. It has been said that the senior Touré played rough mixes of these songs when people visited him in his final days, at peace with, and proud of, his son’s talent as a musician.

In 2005, Eric Herman (still Vieux’s manager today) of Modiba Productions expressed an interest in producing an album for Vieux; this led to Vieux’s self-titled debut album, released by World Village in 2007. Ali Farka Touré’s work to tackle the problem of malaria is continued as 10% of proceeds are donated to Modiba’s “Fight Malaria” campaign in Niafunké through which over 3000 mosquito nets have been delivered to children and pregnant women in the Timbuktu region of Mali. On this first album, Vieux pays homage to his father and follows Ali’s musical tradition, giving new versions of the West African music that is echoed in the American blues. The album features Toumani Diabaté, as well as his late father.

On his second record, Fondo on Six Degrees (2009), Vieux branched out and presented his own sound: while remaining true to the roots of his father’s music he uses elements of rock, Latin music, and other African influences. The album received a great deal of critical acclaim from across the globe, and Vieux was clearly moving out of his father’s shadow.

By June 2010, Vieux was performing at the opening concert for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. That month Vieux also released his first live album, LIVE. His live performances are highly energized and Vieux is known for dazzling crowds with his speed and dexterity on the guitar, as well as his palpable charisma and luminous smile, both of which captivate audiences from all audiences in spite of any language barriers (though Vieux does speak 8 languages).

In 2011 Vieux released his 3rd studio album, The Secret, so named because the listener will hear the secret of the blues with a blend of generations from father to son. It was produced by guitarist Eric Krasno (of the Soulive trio) and features South African-born vocalist Dave Matthews, Derek Trucks on electric slide guitar and jazz guitarist John Scofield. The title track is the last collaboration between Vieux and his late father. With the heralded release of The Secret, Vieux Farka Touré has clearly established himself as one of the world’s rare musical talents and guitar virtuosos with a distinct style that always pays homage to the past while looking towards the future.

Vieux released The Tel Aviv Session (Cumbancha) in April 2012, a collaborative project with Israeli superstar Idan Raichel dubbed ‘The Touré-Raichel Collective’ that has been hailed by fans and critics alike as a masterpiece and one of the best collaborative albums in the history of international music, drawing comparisons to Ali Farka Touré and Ry Cooder’s legendary Talking Timbuktu album.

In 2013, Vieux Farka Touré’s beautiful and critically acclaimed album Mon Pays was released as an homage to his homeland. Being that his native Mali had recently been splintered by territorial fighting between Tuareg and Islamic rebels since January 2012, Mon Pays was devoted to reminding the world about the beauty and culture of his native Mali. Translated as ‘My Country,’ this predominantly acoustic undertaking transformed into an artifact of cultural preservation. Two songs on the project - ‘Future’ and ‘Peace’ feature Sidiki Diabate’s kora leading an emotional charge complemented by Touré’s spectacular guitar work. Both tracks represent an important generational “passing of the torch” as Sidiki’s father, Toumani is considered one of the greatest living kora masters and was a close friend of Vieux’s father Ali. Mon Pays has been widely hailed as the most mature and lovely record yet from one of this generation’s most exciting artists to come out of Mali and one of world music’s true rising stars.

Vieux reunited with Idan Raichel in Paris to record, release and subsequently tour their 2nd collaborative album as The Touré-Raichel Collective in 2014. The result was yet another musical and critical triumph, titled 'The Paris Session' (Cumbancha) revered by many as not just a musical gem for the ages, but a powerful testimonial to the power of art and fraternity to transcend vast cultural and political divides. In 2015, Vieux released another unexpected, genre-bending collaborative album, this time with New York-based singer Julia Easterlin, aptly titled 'Touristes'. The album shot to the top of the iTunes World chart and earned critical acclaim, including that of John Schaefer (NPR) who called it "brilliant." On April 7, 2017, Vieux released his next album 'Samba', recorded live in front of a small audience at Applehead Studio in Woodstock, NY.

When the COVID pandemic hit in 2020 and all touring ground to a halt, Vieux stayed focussed on his craft at home. He worked tirelessly in the studio he built at his family's compound (which he named 'Studio Ali Farka Toure' in honor of his late father) to record his debut album for World Circuit Records/BMG, the prestigious UK-based record label with whom his father recorded and released most of his own work. The resulting album, 'Les Racines' (released June 2022), sees Vieux masterfully return to the deep roots of the Desert Blues music that his father introduced to the world and Vieux spent most of his career to date exploring, experimenting with, and expanding. 2022 also saw the release of a long-awaited collaborative album between Vieux and Houston-based psych-rock superstars Khruangbin called ‘Ali’ - an album on which the artists join forces to pay homage to Ali Farka Toure by reimagining eight of his songs together.  The album was an instant hit around the globe, immediately getting millions of streams, enormous critical acclaim and even earning the praise of Sir Elton John who called it "one of the albums of the year - absolutely wonderful music." With each new project Vieux broadens his horizons, embraces new challenges and further entrenches his reputation as one of the world’s most talented and innovative musicians.

As a passionate champion for the people of Mali and The Sahel, Vieux founded the charity Amahrec Sahel in 2012. As part of Amahrec Sahel’s mission to support humanitarian reconstruction and culture, the charity has provided school supplies for children, supported an orphanage in Bamako and provided musical instruments for young musicians in Mali. Vieux is also the director of The Ali Farka Touré Foundation, an international organization dedicated to the preservation of Ali’s legacy and the cultural growth of Mali.

 Brent Barry & The Neighbors

 Jimmie Killingsworth on mandolin and Peter Oviatt on 5 string banjo. Playing jumpblues, originals and good ole bluegrass.

Improvement Movement

Depending on the day of the week, Improvement Movement might be described as a loose amalgamation of Atlanta songsmiths, a hostile corporate takeover of your dad's favorite band, or a generous waste of time. 

“just saw THE REBIRTH BRASS BAND, unbelievable. hard as hell, free as a ray of light, there is not a band on earth that is better. stunning.” - Flea, Red Hot Chili Peppers

For almost 4 decades, the Grammy winning Rebirth Brass Band has been “stunning” fans with a fiery live show and a rich musical catalog. Their trademark sound pays homage to the New Orleans brass band tradition while weaving a tapestry that combines elements of jazz, funk, soul, R&B and the sounds from the streets they grew up on. From their legendary 25+ year run of Tuesday nights at the Maple Leaf to stages all over the world, Rebirth is the soundtrack of the Crescent City and her premier musical ambassador.

Founded by brothers Phil and Keith Frazier over 35 years ago, Rebirth began their career playing on the sidewalks of the French Quarter, and quickly landed gigs at second line parades. Those auspicious beginnings have led to thousands of shows to music aficionados everywhere, including heads of state and royalty.

The bands unique “soundtrack of New Orleans” has also garnered admiration from artists of all genres. They’ve shared the stage and collaborated with everyone from the Grateful Dead to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Maceo Parker, Green Day, U2, James Brown, 311, G-Love, MuteMath, Juvenile, Train, Big Freedia, Ani Difranco, Galactic, Allen Touisant, Neville Brothers, Quincy Jones and Trombone Shorty.

Chuck Prophet and His Cumbia Shoes

When a stage four lymphoma diagnosis forced him off the road and into the hospital, Chuck Prophet did not know if he would live long enough to see the end of the year, let alone get back on tour.

I was going through a tunnel, he recalls. It was dark. But I had music: music to play, music to listen to, music to get me out of my head. Music was my savior.

That much is plain to hear on Wake The Dead, Prophets extraordinary new album. Recorded with band of brothers ?Qiensave?, the collection explores the world of Cumbia music, which consumed and comforted Prophet during his illness and subsequent recovery. The songs are intoxicatingly rhythmic, all but demanding you move your body, with arrangements that blur the lines between tradition and innovation. There are flashes of rock and roll, punk, surf, and soul, all filtered through the streets of San Francisco and wrapped up in the rich legacy of a genre that traces its roots back to the jungles of South America.

Captured live in the studio, Wake The Dead resumes Prophets streak of more than a dozen critically acclaimed solo albums stretching all the way back to 1990, when the California native first shifted focus from pioneering neo psych band Green on Red to working under his own name. Since then, Prophet, who is now in full remission, has earned raves everywhere from Rolling Stone to NPR, landed songs in a slew of films and television shows, and seen his work covered by Bruce Springsteen, Solomon Burke, and Heart, among others.

Keller's Description:  "Loose interpretations of Grateful Dead songs done in a bluegrass style. Take my fascination with Grateful Dead songs and mix it together with my love of psychedelic improvisational bluegrass music and out burps this project.

If you like your Grateful Dead songs performed in their original way, or if you prefer traditional bluegrass, this is not the project for you.  If you like singing along to Dead songs in that song’s normal tempo but dancing double time to the music, this is definitely your jam.   A lot of people seem to dig it and I dig them for that.”

Keller’s Grateful Grass delivers anything-but-traditional bluegrass versions of Grateful Dead favorites. Grateful Grass often times has a rotating lineup and so far, has included collaborations with The Keels, Keith Moseley (SCI), Jeff Austin (Yonder Mountain String Band), Michael Kang (SCI), Reed Mathis (Tea Leaf Green, Mark Benevento Trio) Bill Nershi (SCI), Allie Kral, Vince Herman (Leftover Salmon), Sam Grisman, Love Canon, The Infamous Stringdusters and the Hillbenders.

In 2008, the original Grateful Grass members (Keller, Jeff Austin and Keith Moseley) recorded a live performance at The Fillmore in Denver, CO.  100% of the proceeds from REX (Live at the Fillmore) went to benefit The Rex Foundation, the charitable non-profit started by the Grateful Dead. 

In 2010 Grateful Grass took the stage at Delfest for the first live appearance since 2008. In 2013, Grateful Grass ft. Keller, Jeff Austin, Keith Moseley and Michael Kang reunited to benefit the Rex Foundation once again at The Fillmore in San Francisco for the event, Nightfall of Diamonds. Once again this performance was recorded and DOS was released in 2014.  All proceeds continue to benefit the Rex Foundation.

“Different collaborations of Grateful Grass will pop up from time to time as playing this music this way is such a blast that it probably should be illegal.” — Kw

Steely Dead 

Hailing from the vibrant music scene of Denver, Colorado, Steely Dead is a national touring band that has satisfied the curiosity of music lovers with their unique blend of Grateful Dead and Steely Dan. Comprised of four exceptionally talented musicians – Dave Abear on guitar, Matt Abear on bass, Chris Sheldon on drums, and Dylan Teifer on keys – Steely Dead has gained a dedicated following with their electrifying performances and soulful interpretations of classic tunes.

Steely Dead’s repertoire is a carefully crafted fusion of Grateful Dead and Steely Dan songs, between the arrangement and precision studio recordings of rock legends Steely Dan,

cross-pollinated with the Grateful Dead’s free-flowing, melodic improvisation and masterful song segues. Steely Dead merges these major concepts together infusing the influence into each band, all the while creating an original jam element with the song segues. Steely Dead’s performances are a musical journey that takes audiences on a nostalgic trip through the golden era of rock and roll.

As a national touring band, Steely Dead has built a loyal fan base that eagerly anticipates their shows and follows them from city to city. Their performances are not just concerts, but communal gatherings where fans come together to celebrate the music they love, dance, and create lasting memories.

Steely Dead’s performances are a testament to the power of live music, bringing people together and creating an unforgettable experience that resonates long after the last note fades. Steely Dead is not just a band; it’s a musical experience that captures the hearts and souls of music lovers everywhere.