Growing up in the slums of Johannesburg and Limpopo in South Africa, InDuna came to New Zealand at the age of 14. The new single ‘Strange Fruits’ speaks of his vulnerability as he recounts his experiences of shame, being bullied and fighting insecurities. Confronted with a big culture shock, InDuna had to adapt to his new surroundings whilst also remaining true to himself despite being told what he should be.
Acknowledging these feelings in ‘Strange Fruits’, he hopes to provoke listeners to consider their own experiences where they’ve been most vulnerable and bring them to light.
The track’s title takes inspiration from the lyrical content of Kanye West’s ‘Blood On The Leaves’ and Nina Simone’s ‘Strange Fruit’, though its meaning is much different with the title referring to people InDuna has had negative encounters with throughout his life.
On recording the single, InDuna recounts: “The song brought up a lot for me. But there were things I felt I was finally ready to let go of and start anew. As painful as it was for me, I felt a sense of responsibility to speak out and encourage – whether it’s my friends or anyone listening.”
Self-produced and recorded by InDuna, ‘Strange Fruits’ was mixed by Toby Lloyd at Tiny Triumph Recordings (Stan Walker, Louis Baker and Shapeshifter) and mastered by Chris Chetland at KOG Studio.