Passion Fruit.

At night, with a band playing, lights dimmed, folks dancing and sipping local beer, the Anza Club in Vancouver feels hip, urban and trendy. In the late afternoon, though, as I sit with the members of the Australian band Fruit, the club looks a bit, shall we say, rundown. Paint peeling on the walls, faded beer-stained carpet, slightly torn, vinyl-covered chairs; a stage just large enough for a band; Plexiglas spit guard between the bartender and the stage.

I'm here in time for the sound check. A technician counts to 10 into a microphone, purposely popping her p's to set levels. Sam Lohs, Susie Keynes and Mel Watson, the three principle members of Fruit, hop down from the stage to join me. Their Aussie accents are sexy, their energy infectious, their generosity boundless. I …