Musician, songwriter and world traveler Martín Better Longo has returned to his position as the primary composer of Fruta Brutal and is diving deeper into the local music scene. When we last spoke with Longo almost exactly two years ago, his trio, Fruta Brutal, was just beginning to test the waters of Denver’s music community. From Ecuador to Buenos Aires, New Orleans to Colorado, and with many cultural forces at play during each of his life’s chapters, Longo has become an artist with an exhaustive list of influences that made him the unique player that he is today — one that is currently celebrating the release of Fruta Brutal’s latest single, “Deeper Ruins.”
Part of the reason for the long-awaited release of “Deeper Ruins” is that in the summer of 2023, Longo joined The Mañanas — playing shows “almost every week, including opening for some major acts” — and Fruta Brutal was inevitably put on pause. This year, however, he finds himself returning fully “to [his] heart-driven project: Fruta Brutal.” After some creative reconciliation and settling back into his role as bandleader, Longo was able to rediscover his groove. “Coming back to Fruta Brutal has been a huge healing process,” he reflected. “Once I started writing again, everything just flowed.”
The captivatingly effervescent “Deepest Ruins” is Fruta Brutal’s first glorious move back in the spotlight. It’s “the perfect song to reemerge with,” said Longo. “It’s all about the heartbreak of letting go of something dear to you in order to resurface from the depths.” Inspired by the “paradoxical beauty of ancient ruins,” the single “reflects on a relationship that once thrived, but had to be left behind.” It’s pop yet smooth, unique yet comfortably familiar, and makes for some intriguing yet easy listening. With a cross-continental production process, the song’s “upbeat indie psych-pop groove” is totally new to local music fans.
Fortunately, “Deepest Ruins” is not the only piece of music that Fruta Brutal will be releasing this year. “Listeners can expect a lot more from Fruta Brutal this year,” Longo teased. He’s been working and collaborating with musicians and producers from across the Americas to expand the band’s “eclectic bilingual sound,” bridging his musical worlds in a way that feels like a “natural evolution.” Of all the behind-the-scenes folks helping Longo bring his global vision to life, he gratefully credited his bandmates for truly bringing his songs to life. Together with Susan Lucía and Ben Weirich, Longo is certain to make waves in Denver and across the Front Range as the three-piece manifests, becomes and evolves.
Stream “Deepest Ruins” here!
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