Orange Peel Sunshine

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Orange Peel Sunshine has undergone many lineup changes since their formation in 1999, but their output of post punk grunge rock is still as energetic and in-your-face as it ever was. In a market oversaturated with dream pop and shoegaze, the Dallas-based quartet dares to shake their fists at the dominant paradigm rather than confrom to it. Their third full-length eponymous album is scheduled for full release in the near future, but it is currently available in digital form on iTunes and Amazon. After seeing their high octane performance in Denton, Texas, OPS stood out in my mind as one of the bands to keep an eye and ears on. When I got ahold of their latest album, I was skeptical as to how the group would transfer such an intense, three dimensional live experience into two-dimensional tracks. Could OPS translate their panache and acerbic wit to their listening audience as easily as their live audience? To find out, I asked lead singer Josh Campbell for a little bit more information on the recording process, the album, and what the future holds for OPS:

BnB: What was the recording process like?

Josh: Very free form and open from the beginning. We went into it wanting it to sound raw; as if we were playing a show in your living room. We recorded each song live to tape without reference or click tracks. The album was recorded, mixed, and co-produced by Justin Collins at his house in Denton, Texas. The drums were set up in the living room, the guitars were in one bedroom together and the bass was stashed in the kitchen. We just plugged in and went crazy in an attempt to capture our live performance energy.



kessler

Is there an overall theme or message of this album?

Maybe be something like, "why make sense when you can have fun and make music?" It depends on the song. There are a couple that Nick wrote the lyrics to that have specific subject matter and themes. For example, the last track on the album 'Not Since Superman Died' is Nick's lyrical depiction of the life and times of Henry Lee Lucas. There is quite a wide range of content on this record with themes ranging from America's debt crisis to the exploits of tweakers to Evangeline Lilly to being a crazy horny 14 year old and all the ambiguous nonsense in between.

What do you think the future holds for post punk/alt punk bands? Are they going to go electro like most other genres? Should they?

We aren't as genre-specific as some other bands out there. We jokingly consider ourselves on the frontier of Happy Hardcore. The future looks good for original aggressive music that isn't so heavy you can't take what the band is playing or saying seriously, but take our content seriously at your own peril. As far as going electro, whatever you can add to the music to enhance it without changing its core then go for it.

Turns out, Orange Peel Sunshine is just as hardcore in the studio as they are on the stage without any electro effects that would cater to younger audiences.. The first track 'Cosmic Ones' starts off fast, strong, and loud; early Blink 182 comes to mind almost instantly. But before you can properly pigeon hole them as ‘punk’, they drop out in a surprise alt rock interlude that you can’t help but bob your head to. Lead singer Josh Campbell sweetly singsongs a confession “Cause I’m a radical, in one word…” before they crank it back up to the original tempo, then back to the interlude, and then the final race to the finish line. It’s a great opening track because it showcases the group’s versatility in moving between both high-speed garage rock and downtempo minimalism, as well as their ability to infuse emotion into both styles.The second track ‘Your Scalp, My Wall’ is like an inverse of the first track, a slow ballad that gradually increases in tempo that’s chock full of provocative and creative phrases that point to the group’s punk rock attitude. One of my favorites was "You're just too busy for yourself, you'll end up buried with your wealth". I enjoyed the grunged out 'Rivers Flowing With Whiskey'; it wasn't just because of the humorous title, but because the music and vocals perfectly reflect one another's tortured sensibility. The opening riff is reminiscent of Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots, but the chord changes are pure Green Day. The album continues on its mercurial way, before ending with the doube whammy of 'Encephalitis' and 'Not Since Superman Died'. 'Encephalitis' is full of dystopic observations adorned with harmony, including the delightfully cynical:

It doesn't matter what you say or do in this day and age

Everything's been said, nothing left to be done

We strive in vain to try to figure our lives out

And everyone around is busy running their own fucking mouth

The track ends in a cacophony of cymbals, guitar distortion, and shrieked vocals before fading into 'Not Since Superman Died'. The song begins with an epic, sweeping, Metallica-esque introduction, only to bring it back up to full throttle for a spectacular finale complete with dark, introspective and expository lyrics that continue to showcase the group's open book relationship with their audience. Orange Peel Sunshine's album is now available on iTunes and Amazon, but keep checking their Myspace and Facebook pages for details on the physical release. For more information on their upcoming tour dates, click here.

- BestNewBands.com