OrangeG, an interview
The head honcho at UpToHearMusic thought it would be interesting to have me interview the one and only OrangeG, whose debut album, called The Void Bereft, was released on October 14th. I have to say, it’s an honor to have anything to do with such a wonderful artist. Some musicians are just special… OrangeG is one of those, though I may be a bit biased because I’m lucky to call him a friend. This task is made more interesting by the fact that I assisted with the mixing and mastering of the album.
Mark Grider: So, your album is call The Void Bereft… Would you like to explain the meaning or significance of the title?
OrangeG: To me, "The Void Bereft" represents all the things that you think are missing in life. The words come from the final song, “Parting Gift.” It only fits that it would be the last song, right? Reflecting on the overall story arc of the album, I was struck by how much of it centered on absence and the act of recognizing that absence– certainly not every song, but enough that the title fit to me.
MG: What do you hope people get from your music?
OG: I make music to process the world around me as I experience it. It has been immensely helpful in affording me with perspective on all the things I worry about or make me sad or angry. I hope that my songs provide a useful lens for others as they similarly try to understand what it is they see and feel.
MG: What do you like most about making music?
OG: I love finding just the right balance of abstraction and specificity in a song so that it can take on many meanings to the audience. I also love finding a good groove and discovering combinations of sounds that feel right to me.
MG: Regarding the process of making your album, what were highlights for you?
OG: There were a lot of ups and downs and mostly they were downs for the longest time - recording songs and getting frustrated with white noise or timing imperfections that I could not correct. The biggest highlight was overcoming those downs. There is nothing that beats the feeling when you can perceive that a song has gelled in the studio. I remember being so pleased when "Burn Both Ends" came together with rootsy percussion and gang vocals - I must have listened to it a hundred times once I knew the direction the recording would take. Another highlight was getting the amazing vocals of Annie Oaksong on "Parting Gift.” Once I added the tracks she sent me, it transformed the song into exactly what I was hoping for.
MG: Was there anything you learned about yourself during the making of the album?
OG: I learned a ton about myself in the songwriting process. Several of the songs were written in School of Song workshops taught by the likes of Meg Duffy (Hand Habits), Luke Temple (Art Feynman), and Ellen Kempner (Palehound). Learning to write songs based on loose assignments was eye-opening. I had always thought that songs built from prompts couldn't be very good. But what I realized is that I just don't want to know too much about the process when I hear a new song from someone. As far as recording/making the album, I learned to build resilience and patience. It has been a huge shift from my mid-pandemic pace of rapid single releases to delay the constant gratification and trudge towards a larger body of work that is intended to be consumed as a unit. I also definitely learned that I can rock out a bass solo, and it was fun to play with live-sampled drums in recording. I am still learning so much about home recording and leaning on my friends for help... John Michie and James Willows (my Roundlakes bandmates) were instrumental in providing critical feedback on every track.. I learned a ton from you, Fedbysound, about mixing as well - thanks for the stunning job you did on the final mix/master of the album!
MG: How much does “A Song About Kung Fu” actually describe how you feel about your accomplishments? Any thoughts on the importance goal attainment? Does reaching a goal give you a sense of fulfillment? Is that feeling permanent or fleeting? What about the importance of having a goal that hasn’t yet been achieved?
OG: It is pretty accurate/autobiographical. When I left high school, I had fantasies about returning to my reunion as some super-eloquent professor/scientist musician who knew kung fu. I don't know why I thought that martial arts had to be part of this fantasy, but it was. I am actually a professor and have my own research laboratory here in Pittsburgh. The end of the song has a field recording of a centrifuge taken from my lab. I have not won a Nobel Prize, but will note that it was just awarded last week to someone adjacent in my field: Svante Paabo on ancient DNA sequencing to understand the relationships of Neanderthals with humans. His stuff is pretty cool, but there is an unseemly hype machine in science that makes folks feel under-appreciated. What is often unseen/unnoticed is that we need all the science to happen because it allows us to see the world through so many different perspectives. Constantly over-glorifying one person’s achievements is tough because you know there are many more whose stories are interesting and valid and similarly deserving of praise. Even if I disagree with a finding, I am pretty happy that I have colleagues working on such a large variety of interesting/useful problems. Goals are rough...publishing a scientific paper is kinda like releasing a song. Once it is out, you have heard it a million times and you are sick of listening/looking at it, and you hope that folks will appreciate it (and yet we are often disappointed by the response). A huge step forward in my own mental health, in both science and music, is to accept the emotions that wash over our brains and lower expectations about how our accomplishments will go over. The final thought is that there is always something greater to aspire to. It is very important to me to have new goals as old ones are achieved. I am already thinking about the next album as well as a followup to The Roundlakes EP.
MG: When it comes to performing, do you prefer the stage or the screen? Does a room of people feel much different than ten people on a livestream?
OG: To me, it is similar. I got my start during the pandemic so the screen is a quite comfortable place. Playing in front of people in person had its own challenges that i had to overcome. Now that i am comfortable with both, I’m grateful to play for the audience wherever i find it.
MG: Where’s the coolest place you’ve played so far?
OG: I played a gig with my good friends, The Jobs, at Mahall's Bowling Alley in Cleveland. They put me on the marquee, which was a first.. They have a bar and a stage separate from the alley and it was an awesome night with a good crowd.
MG: What’s the best question someone has ever asked about your music or being a musician? What was your answer and had that answer changed?
OG: This might just be the best question I've been asked! A meta question gets a meta answer, and I’ll let you know when the answer changes.
MG: What are your plans for the album release?
OG: So many things! I have a batch of CDs, which is my first physical release! A friend who does screenprinting by hand made t-shirts for the album! I had a show on release day (Oct 14) at The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh PA. I am planning a livestream event for my internet listeners in the next couple weeks. I am editing and planning more music videos to accompany tracks from the album.
MG: Any parting thoughts? Or gifts?”
OG: Thanks to everyone who supported me along the way - listened, liked posts, and bought my music! I never knew how much it meant to me to share what I had made and this album represents a huge milestone in opening my heart for the world to see what's inside.