Fruition, the dynamic five-piece American Roots band from Portland, Oregon, is gearing up for an exciting chapter. With their new album How to Make Mistakes on the horizon, an extensive American tour, and a special appearance at the Musical Sojourn in Buenos Aires—all kicking off in August—the band is poised for a busy and exhilarating stretch ahead. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Mimi Naja, the band's co-founder, singer, and songwriter, to discuss the new record and the upcoming tour.
GW: Tell me about the formation of Fruition?
MN: The three songwriters—me, Jay (Cobb Anderson), and Kellen (Asebroek)—started busking in Portland, Oregon, and things just took off from there. We picked up Tyler Thompson on drums. We started with another bass player but ended up with Jeff Leonard in 2015. And here we are.
GW: How does it feel to go from busking on the street to traveling on a world tour in just 15 years?
MN: Yeah, some days it feels like progress, some days it doesn’t. But we’ve been blessed to play on big stages and at festivals. Festivals are really our bread and butter. We’ve got to get new ears on the band, and yeah, it feels great.
GW: Did you start off as bluegrass? I hear so many influences in your music—blues, folk, even some jazz. Is this the basis for American Roots music?
MN: We were never a bluegrass band. We were a string band because that’s what you can play when performing on the street. I play the mandolin, but we’ve never been bluegrass. Americana, or American Roots, sounds good. You know, we pull from a variety of genres—we’re just the great melting pot.
GW: Who is your musical muse?
MN: For songwriting and the maturity realm, Gillian Welch has been our collective number one over the years. But we listen to so many styles. Still, Gillian is our hero.
GW: Your new album, How to Make Mistakes, is a wonderful collection. I was impressed with the flow of the songs, like a perfect live set. How did you come up with the order?
MN: It’s just kind of a natural, throw-things-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks approach. Things moved around a bit, but it’s mostly intuition. There’s an overarching theme, but it’s not a concept record. As a collection, the vibe comes across. With three lead singers, we like to divvy things out.
GW: Where did the album title come from?
MN: It’s pulled from one of the tracks, "Made to Break." There’s a line in there, "I’m still learning how to make mistakes," and we just thought it was a great line. It has a double meaning for us because the record was made in one room with no overdubs or extra tricks. It’s really raw and intimate. There might be some imperfect singing or slightly out-of-tune moments, but we kept it all as it was live.
GW: On the track "Get Lost," I can almost visualize the story. Where did this imagery come from?
MN: I hope that song serves as an anthem for anyone who uses nature to heal themselves. I’m a city girl, but the only way I manage is by regularly getting out into nature. The inspiration came when I was stuck in traffic, surrounded by cars and concrete. People were playing loud music, yelling at their phones—just all the noise and chaos. I survived knowing that my time to be with Mother Earth was coming. I’m really stoked about how that one came out.
GW: Many of us are with you on that. "The Price of Good Advice" really speaks to me. In my 20s, I bought a used Mercedes. Was this song written from real-life experiences?
MN: Yeah, Jay wrote that song, and it’s definitely personal. I can totally relate to the vehicle verse. That song does a great job tying into the album title as well. Life is just an endless string of decisions, and there’s never going to be a 100% correct decision. Nothing is black and white like that. You make decisions for your betterment, but they still bring new challenges. That song captures that theme in a great way.
GW: My favorite track is "Take it Back." I can imagine crowds swaying to that one.
MN: I always hope it resonates with others the way it did when I wrote it. I try to write from a storytelling angle, like John Prine—very personal and real. I mix my real-life experiences with universal concepts, like feeling estranged from loved ones and feeling like we’re constantly changing. I hope it hits home the way it was intended.
GW: I love the line, "It’s high time I check in on you." It made me reflect on how often we forget to check on people.
MN: Totally. The amount of time we think about our loved ones versus the amount of time we actually reach out—the discrepancy is wild. Social media is supposed to keep us connected, but it often stops us from truly reaching out and checking in. I might see your posts, but we still haven’t connected.
GW: Very insightful. The last track, "All Said and Done," starts with a Polynesian flavor. Was that intentional?
MN: I wouldn’t say Polynesian specifically. T. Tom laid down a nice drum groove, and we just let that ride. Jay uses a 6th chord that gives it a Hawaiian vibe. It’s dreamy, a little tribal meditation that really suits the tune.
GW: What are your hopes for this release? I’ve loved all your albums, and this one feels clean and polished. Are you hoping it will catapult you even further?
MN: We’re definitely hoping for a catapult! We’re really happy knowing that no matter what show we play or how many people are in the room, they’re just a priceless gift. Being a professional musician in today’s climate is really challenging, so we could use a boost. Inflation and the industry’s struggles post-COVID have made it tough. No disrespect to how far we’ve come, but we need more ears in the room. I believe the people who hear this record will love it—hopefully, they’ll fall in love with us, too.
GW: You’re about to start an extensive tour. How do you prepare for that?
MN: We’ve got to bring the music to the people! We’ve planned the tour nicely, with a couple of weeks at a time. We want to stay busy—staying busy is key.
GW: How does touring affect your families?
MN: It’s a difficult balance. Some of the guys have partners and babies at home, so we have to space it out and respect the families. It’s all about finding balance, and we aim to continue doing that.
GW: Is there anywhere you’re particularly excited to go?
MN: I feel like we’ve had some success on the East Coast here and there, but I really hope this tour is where we win them over. We’re heading to Montana, which is amazing—they already love us there, so we’ll definitely feel the love and support. I’m looking forward to newer markets, newer to us, falling a little deeper in love with us.
GW: Tell us about the Musical Sojourn in Buenos Aires.
MN: I’m really excited about that! Matt Butler, out in Portland, Oregon, who runs the Everyone Orchestra, organizes these events, and they’re incredible. It’s full collaboration with all kinds of amazing artists. The fans are just as deep into it as we are, and we’re all in it together for a week straight.
GW: One last question—tell us about your collaboration with Conscious Alliance?
MN: We’ve partnered with them several times over the years. The first time was at the Northwest String Summit—may it rest in peace. We’ve done countless events with them in Colorado, Oregon, and other places. Their mission to feed people is beautiful, and what’s even better is how they do the heavy lifting behind the scenes. We’re just happy to help spread the word and be a part of something so important.
Fruition’s tour kicks off in Montana on August 21, with dates scheduled across the U.S. How to Make Mistakes drops on August 23 and will be available online. Don’t miss out on this raw and heartfelt collection from one of the most innovative bands in the Americana scene today.
