London-based Indie duo Stone Fruit has released their highly anticipated EP, titled 'Hold Me Close.'
Stone Fruit hoped to capture their current state of mind and experiences within this particular EP. They emphasize exploring various narratives and genre elements instead of adhering to anything specific. Stone Fruit creates picturesque, feel-good experiences within the general ambiance their songs hold, and "Hold Me Close" wasn't any exception. One particular song from the EP, titled the same as the EP itself, offered this genuine sense of diversity the duo are known for.
"Hold Me Close" is the third track featured on Stone Fruit's recent EP. The song is appeasing and truly fun-loving with its enhanced groovy melody. Stone Fruit's harmonious vocals are interwoven into the melody, and the duo offers a great contrast via the delivery of two potent ambiance.
First, listeners may feel like they're in a trance, drifting aimlessly on a cloud and honed into a dream-like state. Then, listeners may very well snap out of such a fixation with the stimulating, fast-paced instrumentals and vibrant vocal tones that get introduced. It's here that listeners can be sent into a severe groove, with every sense in their body telling them to make some dance-like movement.
Stone Fruit offered the best of the contemporary alt/indie scene with "Hold Me Close," as well as the entirety of their EP. "Hold Me Close" was one track that the duo shined exceptionally bright on, and we're keeping our eyes peeled for any future noise from this elevated, eclectic, genre-bending duo.
Congratulations on the debut of your third EP, 'Hold Me Close.' What kind of thoughts and emotions led up to the release of this EP for you two?
Thank you for having us! The unprecedented events of the last year and a half have changed how we think and deal with the creative process. During the pandemic, we had the time to reevaluate what is important to us as artists, and although some of the songs were written before the outbreak, we decided to take our time with the release to make sure that the EP has evolved with us. The songs draw inspiration from different sonic worlds, but we feel that they occupy the same space. Each piece underlines other emotions. Emotions can also exist simultaneously within a person. We find this an exciting aspect of the human psyche and a challenge that we all must face daily. Melancholy, joy, excitement, and worry about the things that lie ahead were all integrated into this EP. And its creation was a form of personal therapy for us.
Can you describe the narrative that your track "Hold Me Close" possessed? What thoughts were you trying to stimulate from your listeners with this particular song?
"Hold Me Close" describes relationships where people who shared a life once have now grown apart. Although they can see that they are on the brink of estrangement, they choose not escape the situation. This can occur in all sorts of relationships; with lovers, friends, and family. It can be difficult because it can be painful to think about life without them when you genuinely love someone. So, you are willing to keep fighting and figure it out.
At the same time, this song indirectly comments on the importance of human touch, which we inevitably missed during the pandemic. Some studies show that touch signals safety, trust, and emotional bonding to others. It calms our nervous system and slows down our heartbeat. We used to take it for granted, but its importance to our human nature has now become clearer than ever.
As a duo that enjoys blurring the genre lines, where would you say you source out your creativity to create a song such as "Hold Me Close?"
The track's narrative dictated a lot of the harmony, instrumentation, and production choices we made. We wanted the story of the lyrics to be reflected through a 'tighter' verse and an 'open,' ethereal chorus. The sounds we experimented with and used eventually were influenced by many artists we love; RYX, Lianne la Havas, Tom Misch, London Grammar, Jordan Rakei, and Jacob Collier, just to name a few.
Were there any challenges with the construction or collaboration between you regarding the manifestation of "Hold Me Close?"
We get along so well with each other, and that makes things easy. The challenge is to find the time and headspace to be in the same room together. Besides the pandemic keeping us from sharing a room for a while, we are often busy with other work and projects. So there have been times that we struggled to find the time for songwriting and recording sessions. But we love what we do, so we always figure it out.
What's next for Stone Fruit?
As soon as our latest EP settles in the world, we want to go back to the studio for more writing and recording. This is our favorite part of the process, and this time we will probably aim towards creating an album!
