Today I’m pleased to present an act that’s new to me – Dublin, Ireland-based indie rock band Fruitz. Originally formed as a four-piece in late 2017, they quickly established themselves as one of Ireland’s most exciting live bands, and in 2018, released their marvelous grungy debut single “Knotz”. They followed a year later with “U&I” and “Girl Around the Corner”, then “Daydream” in January 2020. We all know what happened next, but the band used their down time to record new music, dropping more singles and their excellent EP The Pits and the Glamour, in 2021. During that time, they also reduced down to a trio consisting of James Keegan on guitar and lead vocals, Adam Whelehan on bass and backing vocals, and Jacqueline Campion on drums. From what I’ve been able to determine from their various social media accounts, Campion eventually left the band, and by early 2023, they became a duo consisting of Keegan and Whelehan.

In May 2023, they came roaring back with their beguiling single “Visions of You”, and now return with a terrific new single “Man On Fire“, which dropped yesterday, February 16th. For the recording of the single, the guys rejoined forces with engineer Cian Synnott, who they’d previously worked with on their debut EP The Pits and the Glamour and the single “Visions of You”.

About “Man On Fire”, Keegan explains “This is a statement release from us; it is the start of a new chapter for Fruitz. ‘Man On Fire’ is a perfect example of our sound and our vision. It’s a fairly old tune now; I wrote this in 2020 the day after we supported Louis Berry. ‘The tune actually came from the name of the tour he announced that day, ‘The Man On Fire Tour’, and it kind of just stuck. Musically as well you may hear his influence. The timing to release this song just felt right, it’s a proper indie banger.” Whelehan adds: “This new song encapsulates lively rock guitar sounds, Punchy bass lines and a driving drum progression.“

The guys get right down to business, as the song charges through the gate with a barrage of roiling guitars, humming bass and smashing drumbeats. Keegan’s layered guitar work is outstanding as he delivers an exhilarating mix of beautiful twangy notes and soaring reverb-soaked riffs that give the song a strong Kings of Leon vibe. Throughout, Whelehan keeps the driving rhythm moving forward with an intricate but powerful bass line, accompanied by thunderous percussion that never lets up. Keegan has an arresting singing voice that’s perfectly suited to the dynamic instrumentation, as he fervently sings of struggling to figure out where he stands with a woman he’s strongly attracted to. It’s a proper banger indeed!

Connect with Fruitz:  Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram

Find their music on Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon Music / YouTube