(Artist Update)

Written by: Ginny Gaines   

Eric D. Johnson, the voice behind Fruit Bats, released Baby Man on September 12, 2025. It’s a soft, stripped-down record, just him, his guitar or piano, and a whole lot of emotion. No fancy production, no big band, just honest songs that sound like they were written in the moment. For years, as the heart of Fruit Bats, he’d made albums filled with layered sounds and lush arrangements. But this time, in the fall of 2025, he wanted something different.

He called his longtime friend and producer, Thom Monahan, and said, “Let’s make something simple. Just me, my voice, and a couple of instruments.” Thom agreed, and within a week and a half, the two had Baby Man recorded. Eric wanted each track to feel intimate, like he’s sitting across from you, sharing stories. He wrote and recorded each song in a single day, so they’re raw and real, nothing polished, just pure feeling.

This album has 10 tracks on it that include "Let You People Down," "Two Thousand Four," "Creature From the Wild," "First Girl I Loved," "Moon's Too Bright," and "Year of the Crow." He calls this album “minimalist maximalism”, meaning the music is simple, but the emotions are huge. But that was the point. Baby Man wasn’t meant to be flashy or full of surprises. It was meant to be intimate, like Eric sitting across from you in a quiet room, playing songs on his guitar, telling stories about life, love, memory, and even pain.

The point of Baby Man wasn’t meant to be flashy or full of surprises. It was meant to be intimate, like Eric sitting across from you in a quiet room, playing songs on his guitar, telling stories about life, love, memory, and even pain. For longtime Fruit Bats fans, it was a left turn, yes. But for Eric, it was exactly what he needed, a simple, heartfelt snapshot of who he was in that moment.

That's a wrap for my update on Fruit Bats...Thank you for reading and in closing, please just know, Soundwave Music Media will be here and I will always do my best to bring you the rock music report! Please consider supporting me and the crew by purchasing a Soundwave shirt or hat and support our sponsors! Rock On! Until next time...🤘

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