Not-so-hot take: the Bay Area is the place to be for shoegaze. Maybe it’s the chilly embrace of Karl the Fog, the listlessly soothing crash of the Pacific waves, or the perfect storm of creatives, or all of the above. Either way, the Bay is awash in dreamy-gauzy-hazy sounds that carry us away on a soft tide of emotion.

One forever favorite: Welcome Strawberry. This Oakland-based band has been in heavy rotation on the BFF.fm airwaves since 2022 (shoutout I Luv Mondays ), consistently releasing blissfully bittersweet tunes that evoke shared, yet deeply personal memories.  The newest album, desperate flower, may be the most gorgeously nostalgic yet as Welcome Strawberry explores the fleeting moments of scent that leave a lasting impact on our minds.

To celebrate the new album, I chatted with the brains behind the berry, Cyrus.

Introduce yourself and your band!

Hey! Cyrus here. I make music under the moniker Welcome Strawberry with the help of a bunch of different collaborators.

When did you decide to start working on desperate flower? What inspired the album?

I’m always demoing and kind of putting ideas on the shelf to gestate. After a couple of years, I noticed a lot of songs I wrote referenced flowers for some reason… so I decided to group them together and record them “for real” last summer (2024). Nothing in particular inspired the album, but a thread that runs throughout is the relationship between scent and memory.

Who inspires you and your music?

Off the top of my head, I’m obsessed with: Jon Moritsugu, Suzan Pitt, Silent Hill, Thierry Mugler. Basically anyone/anything with a super distinct aesthetic or tone.

What was the writing process like? Was it different compared to your previous albums?

For this record, I collaborated with Rex John Shelverton on pretty much everything as far as overall tone/arrangements/etc. I played drums for the first time, did live tape manipulation, and got to use a bunch of his sick gear collection.

It was a blast experimenting with him in his studio! I’m also very stoked that Ryann Gonsalves from one of my all time fav bands, Aluminum, was gracious enough to sing on some songs.

I’d love to learn more about the cover art and aesthetics for your releases – they all have unique vibes and yet feel distinctly “Welcome Strawberry.” Does the album inform the art? Vice versa? A bit of both?

I would definitely say the music informs the art. I have 0 talent when it comes to visual art, but when I see potential options for cover art I immediately know what “fits” the vibe of the release. Very glad to hear they all seem to fit together like a separate parallel narrative to go along with the music!

How does being in Oakland and the Bay Area influence your writing?

I’m blessed to be around so many like-minded people who like to be creative for the sake of being creative! Whenever I go to a local show, I leave super inspired to work and step up my game. I just went to the Slake album release show and they totally blew me away.

What local bands should we be listening to?

Above Me, Fentanyl, Night School, Rhymies, Cheree, Blue Zero

Author’s note: find these bands on BFF.fm shows like I Luv Mondays, DIG!, Top Spin, and Baydream.

How can listeners find you and support you?

www.onlyfans.com/welcomestrawberry….jk. The usuals: Instagram and Bandcamp.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I feel extremely grateful for Cherub Dream Records and [A La Carte Records](hhttps://linktr.ee/alacarterecords "") for taking a chance on this music, please support them and all of the other artists on their rosters! And thank you BFF.fm for reaching out for this :)