© 1998josh@cetlink.net
by Stephanie marks
The Fort Mill Times Feb.26, 1998
The band's style, ska, is a genre that originated in Jamaica in the 1960s and combines Jamaican folk music, or "mento," with American rhythm and Blues and jazz. "It's just been going ever since then," bass player Ben Nash explains.
Fruit of Fiction? came together only three months ago, taking its name from a trivia game on the back of a children's fruit juice carton. The group made its debut Jan. 22 at Fort Mill High School's Junior Productions to an overwhelming audience response. Students cheered, danced in the aisles of the Fort Mill High auditorium and tossed assorted women's undergarments onto the stage.
Since then, the band has performed twice at A Touch of Heaven coffee shop on Oakland Avenue, Rock Hill, and once at Fat City Club and eatery on North Davidson Street, Charlotte, with similar positive response.
Six of those seven players are Fort Mill High School students and members of the school band. Most of them study their instruments privately, and some also take piano lessons.
They say that most of their musicality comes from listening to music, but not what's played on popular radio stations, they quickly point out.
Except for one cover, all of their songs are original. After Isenhour comes up with the basic song ideas, Myers composes lyrics as band members come up with their own individual parts. Their most popular songs are "You" and "Brandon's Imaginary Made-up Swing Ska (Part ii)." Other titles include "Real Big World," "Coca-Cola," "Leave you Alone" and "Great Disappointments."
Is there a Fruit of Fiction? fan club? 'Not yet," said Isenhour,"but there are some people who seem to make it to each show." One of them is Fort Mill High freshman Zach Victor, who says of the band, "they're bad{really good}. They need a CD."
The band agrees. Their long-term goals rage from cutting a CD to being "bigger than the Beatles," Myers added. For now, though, Nash says they're "just having fun, just playing anywhere we can."
For upcoming concert information, member BIOS, song lyrics and band history, check out the "Fruit or Fiction" websites at www.oocities.org/sunsetstrip/underground/5091 and at www.tou.com/host/fruitorfctn.
By Chris Ayers
Special to The Herald
The music industry's hottest commodity, ska rock is sweeping many teenagers off their dancing feet. Fed up with post-grundge apathy, Fort Mill's own Fruit or Fiction? answers that burning question with their hyperactive stage show with openers Hap's Hazard and the Skatone Netwurk at A Touch Of Heaven on Friday.
Formed last fall through their affiliation with the award-winning Fort Mill High School Marching Band, the ska group--Brandon Allen, guitar; Josh Myers, lead vocals; Justin Isenhour and Brian Murphy, trombone; Nick Mucciarone, trumpet; Danny Perry, percussion; and Ben Nash, bass--is finding audiences very receptive to their sound.
Making the difference in the highly formuliac ska world is relatively easy for these high-school juniors. "Most ska bands have cheesy lyrics," explains Myers. "Ours are mostly Pink Floyd-styled but sped up. 75% of ska lyrics are talking about how great ska is. Not us. We talk mostly about women."
And the ladies seem to enjoy the attention, as women's underwear is thrown on stage regularly by adoring fans. "It's just because we're so incredibly hot! It's become a tradition," explains Myers. "I like hanging it between the mic stands!" adds Isenhour.
Their Web site (www.oocities.org/SunsetStrip/Underground/5091) has helped the band to become more accessible on a very grassroots level. "A girl from Indian Land saw our page and e-mailed us about coming to our next show," explains Isenhour. "It helps us let our many fans know when our next show is."
While other bands have definite recording and touring plans for the future, Allen is more realistic. "We could get the Mighty Mighty Bosstones to open for us," he intones. Myers, however, maintains goals a bit more lofty. "One day I hope to be bigger than the Beatles," he adds.
The Herald
Miranda LaLonde,
Editor
Their unique sound is created not only through the basic quitars, drums, and vocals, but two trombones, and a trumpet. Josh Myers writes and performs the lyrics, but the overpowering instrumental selection has a tendency to overthrow his vocal cords and mask his profound lyrics. Nevertheless, most spectators enjoy their performances, which are packed full of toe-tapping rhythms and onstage skankin', the group's term for dancing. Their music combines the commendable traits of rock, swing and reggae to devise original songs. While the music could possibly be classified as ska, some band members rebuke the ska genre generalization. "We don't really know (what it is). We just like it and we don't care about anything else," say Nick Mucciarone, trumpet player.
Fruit or Fiction practices as much as possible in guitarist Brandon Allen's garage and make sure to have plenty of short recesses for hanging from rafters, beating drums aimlessly, and other interesting and entertaining pastimes to ensure that they, according to percussionist, Danny Perry, "have a lot of fun practicing." Their efforts paid off as they recieved a gig at a Touch of Heaven in Rock Hill and incidentally brought in the largest crowd ever. What's next for Friut or Fiction? The group has a dance-off concert planned on February 28th and after that, Justin Isenhour tells of big plans. "Fort Mill, Touch of Heaven, Ericsson Stadium, and a benefits concert in Central Park."