Cyrus VandenBerghe, the artist behind Welcome Strawberry, has been making music since he picked up the violin in grammar school.
“I started playing on a whim,” he said. “My elementary school offered music lessons and, when deciding what instrument I wanted to pursue, I landed on violin. They said it was the hardest, so I was like: ‘That’s the one for me.’ Eventually, one of the kids I played violin with brought a guitar in for us to check out. I switched to guitar after seeing him play a couple of power chords.”
VandenBerghe plays in several bands, including Still Ruins, another long-running project. His bandmates in Still Ruins, guitarists Jose Medina and Frankie Soto, write most of the music for that outfit. In Welcome Strawberry, he’s the main creative force.
“Both bands are influenced by similar genres, but we go in much different directions stylistically,” VandenBerghe said. “Welcome Strawberry is more psychedelic and sinuous, while Still Ruins is more polished and precise.”
Desperate Flower, the recently released Welcome Strawberry album, is a slight departure from the band’s self-titled debut. “The main difference was recording and collaborating with my friend Rex John Shelverton,” VandenBerghe said. “He co-produced, and has a different view on recording and mixing than everyone else I’ve worked with. He’s a mad scientist for sure.” Shelverton added the sound effects that helped shape the overall sound of the record.
The album title is an oblique reference to the direction the music took as it evolved. “I had the luxury of letting these songs steep for a while, to allow new ideas to emerge,” VandenBerghe said. “As songs started to materialize, I noticed I was referencing flowers and memories a lot. The title just felt right.
“A desperate flower could be one that is struggling to bud and bloom,” he added. “Or it could be one wilting and holding on for dear life. Most importantly, I liked the way it sounds.”
The music took several years to come together, with VandenBerghe experimenting in his home studio until everything coalesced. “I have a rudimentary setup,” he said. “I played everything including drums, bass and synth.
“The exceptions are the percussion and effects Rex added and the harmony vocals Ryann Gonsalves performed,” he continued. “She brought so much personality to the songs. She added harmonies I wouldn’t have been able to think up on my own.”
The recording involved a slow process of up-layering tracks over the summer of 2024. “I didn’t have an album in mind, it sort of unfolded naturally as a picture gradually emerged,” VandenBerghe said, “I love the way I notice new things each time I revisit a song, so that evolution was a conscious effort. I’m the main songwriter, but the final product was the result of a ton of collaboration with the other musicians I worked with.”
A throbbing bass line and swirling, atmospheric sounds introduce “Fragrance Net.” VandenBerghe’s breathless vocal comes in, accompanied by high, chiming guitar notes as he describes the blinding light of love that erases everything else as a relationship fades away.
“Unraveled Smiles” is a slow, sad ballad, describing the end of an affair. Eerie synthesizer textures and shimmering guitars back VandenBerghe as he delivers a memorable chorus, sung in harmony with Ryann Gonsalves: “Your love is traveling away from me … again.”
After finishing Desperate Flower, VandenBerghe went about putting together a band to bring the songs to life. “Now that we have a stable lineup, I want to incorporate more of the band’s input and talents when I record future material,” he said. “It’s good to have a clear vision, but it’s also good to have different perspectives. I try not to be too precious about things and go with the flow, Pisces-style.
“Our live shows are a lot more ‘rock’ than the recordings,” VandenBerghe added. “I let my bandmates add their own spin to the songs. I try my best to rip off the experimental vibe of Deerhunter when we’re onstage, but I’ve gotten less and less afraid of being myself and just going with my gut. I’d rather take a chance and fail than play it safe.”
Welcome Strawberry will play at 9pm on Saturday, Oct. 18, at Brick and Mortar Music Hall, 1710 Mission St., San Francisco. 415.817.1479. brickandmortarmusic.com. Listen to ‘Desperate Flower’ at welcomestrawberry.bandcamp.com.
