The Tender Fruit Receives NC Arts Council Grant

Christy Smith, the brilliant songstress behind The Tender Fruit, was recently awarded the NC Arts Council Fellowship for 2011-2012.  Smith has been making quite the name for herself over the past few years, between stirring up waves with her much heralded 2010 release Flotsam & Krill and playing out at festivals like Hopscotch, Shakori Hills, and Troika, her talent has permeated throughout the Triangle with many individuals picking up on the rustic brilliance of The Tender Fruit, including the folks at the NC Arts Council.

Each year the NC Arts Council awards $10,000 in grants to North Carolina artists like Christy as a way of giving back and showing appreciation to these artists.  Much of North Carolina's deep culture can be found in bunches throughout the local scenes that are scattered among the state and Christy Smith certainly stands out among the crowd.

The Tender Fruit will be using their grant to help fund work on their new album, purchase new gear, and fund various other projects in the near future.  It's always great seeing artists get the appreciation and respect that they deserve, and we here at WKNC extend our congratulations to Christy for this excellent achievement!

Double Barrel Benefit 7 Presents: The Tender Fruit

You've certainly heard it before: you love local music, WKNC loves local music, local music loves us all. It's a wonderfully symbiotic relationship, and even if the drive across the Triangle can be a pain, there's almost always a worthwhile show in one's given city. Seriously, it can't be overstated that music around Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill is formidable in both quality and quantity. And there are other pockets, as well: Greenville, Asheville, and we'll say Wilmington, too. And Rocky Mount.

Wait, Remarkable Rocky Mount? Yeah, not so much.

But Rocky Mount just so happens to be the hometown of one Christy Smith, the songwriter and leading lady in the band Nola (oh Nola, we hardly knew ye!) and the no-album-yet band the Tender Fruit. In fact, the Tender Fruit song's "Middle State" was actually written about Rocky Mount.



It's hard to say whether it's Rocky Mount, Raleigh, or some combination thereof that is summoned when Christy Smith writes music, but the result is something that will melt your heart. Her booming vocals on top of calm chord progressions induce gratifyingly depressing emotion.

The Nola album is all about heartbreak and a lost opportunity at love, and I've heard she's working on a new album with a special guest. While I don't wish the difficulty of heartbreak on Christy, I sure do enjoy the shared catharsis that results. If you, like me, simply can't wait for that album, then come check out the Tender Fruit Saturday night at the Double Barrel Benefit. They're on first, at 9:00.

Full disclosure: I'm from Rocky Mount, too.  There's nothing there.