Led by Hannah D’Amato, San Francisco-based Fake Fruit released their self titled debut earlier this year, a record full of winningly hooky indie rock that is informed by the classics but is also clearly very now. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you can stream the whole album below. They’ve also just released a video for “Milkman,” one of the album’s standouts, which D’Amato says is “about noticing a relationship is far past its expiration date, and realizing that you’re the one that’s going to have to take care of it.” The video, directed by Spooky Orbison, plays off the more literal idea of a “Milkman” and you can watch that below.

We caught up with Hannah to find out about the inspirations behind Fake Fruit‘s debut album. “A lot of blood sweat and tears went into making this record, and even though I had to stop and start over so many times, I wouldn’t change anything about how it was made,” Hannah tells us. “I had just landed myself in a city where I didn’t know anyone with a fresh heartbreak in tow. When I wrote the bulk of the record I felt like I was losing it, and I was just trying my best to keep my head above water. These are some of the things that helped me muscle through!”

Part of Hannah’s list is dedicated to places to eat in Vancouver (she wrote a lot of the album there before moving to San Francisco), but there’s also TV shows, YouTube channels, and more. Read that with Hannah’s commentary below.

HANNAH D’AMATO’S INSPIRATIONS BEHIND FAKE FRUIT’S DEBUT ALBUM

Dining alone was a big part of writing this record. I would come up with all kinds of song ideas while I was staring into the depths of my food or people watching. Here are my top 5 food spots that I would frequent in Vancouver.

Döner Kebab: I was and still am very devoted to Döner Kebab, my order was always the same: One Chicken Donair and a spicy water (the little girl I babysat called sparkling water spicy water, and I’ll forever call it that too). Fast and cheap, I probably ate there at least twice a week if i’m being honest.

Duffin’s Donuts: This spot is a Vancouver staple. Definitely a late night post show haven! My order was always all over the place, but so is the menu! Some of my favorites are the teriyaki chicken torta, the pupusas, the fried chicken. Their fries are perfect, and I don’t know what makes them different but I guarantee I could do a blindfolded taste test and recognize them instantly. They also have a really cute cross between a donut and pastry poofy ball thing called an angel, each one has a little hat made of frosting and a cherry on top.

Ramen Danbo: I loved going to Ramen Danbo, there was always a line but I lived close by and could walk over there right before they opened. I also love that they offer Kaedama! My order here would change, but I’d always order extra chili garlic oil!

Peaceful Restaurant: This spot is SO good!! Fresh hand pulled noodles, a TV in the corner playing Guy Fieri visiting the restaurant on loop. I personally couldn’t ask for anything more. I would take the kids I babysat out to eat there and they would try almost anything because they knew I would tell them I was proud. I’ll never forget when the little girl I watched tried something there that had tiny prawns in it, she said it tasted “like too many legs”. She was very quotable.

Bon’s: This diner is the perfect place to soak up anything from the night before. You pay $2.95 for one of the most filling breakfast specials, coffee will cost you extra but it’s self serve (i.e. bottomless) and you’ll still only spend about $5 total!

Some non-food inspirations:

Red Gate Arts Society: The first show I saw in Vancouver was here! It’s just one of those spots where you’re guaranteed to see at least someone you know at the show. Fake Fruit ended up practicing there too, probably the most affordable practice space rent I’ll ever pay. They’re a true community run place that’s been through so many ups and downs. If it were to shut down for good it would be such a blow to the music scene. They are accepting donations to help offset the effects of the pandemic *wink wink*!

Hosting bands: I put a lot of bands up when they would come through town because I had a fair amount of space and I lived alone. I really enjoyed catching up with old friends and meeting new people! I felt like a rock and roll hotel when I was out there, I can’t even remember all of the bands I hosted but off the top of my head: B Boys, Cende, Alex G, Sheer Mag, Woolen Men, Marbled Eye, Jay Som to name a few! It was really special to get to hang out with bands that I really love, and get an inside window to what it was like being on the road.

Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist: I would watch Dr. Katz while I was cooking and eating dinner, take a break to clean up and work on music and then pacify myself with it before I went to sleep almost every night. It is so incredibly comforting to me, and I will always have a soft spot for it. Pro tip: it’s all on YouTube in a big playlist of like 80 videos 😉

Dumper 1203. I found this guy while I was putting together an episode of my oldies/ Chicana soul radio show. He dances in his kitchen, and it is so pure and honest. I am obsessed with his performance of “Get Out (And Let Me Cry)” by Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes. I definitely felt inspired by his self confidence and tried to channel it into Fake Fruit shows. Here it is in all of its glory:

This record would not have happened without so many friends and collaborators along the way. It is the byproduct of a lot of love. I was and still am so inspired by everyone that has played in the band past and present day. Each person who comes on board brings their own flavor to the band, and it was so cool to watch the songs morph and adapt based on whoever was playing them. The sound of the band has evolved so much with the Bay Area lineup: Alex Post (guitar vox), Miles MacDiarmid (drums), and Dylan Allard (bass). I am so excited about how we sound and work together. Stay tuned because this record is just the tip of the iceberg!