An Interview with Fizzy Orange

“We’re not a stoner band... you sound shite when you’re stoned. You think you’re David Gilmour.”

What originated as five friends in a shed covering Mac Demarco has since become a key player in the Dublin music scene, branching into gigs in London and the Isle of Wight. Fizzy Orange started about five years ago, a joint effort of mutual friends who shared interest in a wide variety of genres, notably jazz, rock and soul. They started under the name of Pleasure Dome, drawing heavy inspiration from indie artist Mac Demarco. While the band started off playing gigs in the Sound House and the Grand Social, not all were deemed conventional successes. “We played upstairs in the Grand Social when we were seventeen, there were literally four people there. People felt sorry for us. It was the dumbest shit ever, but it was fun” said front-man Kevin about one of their early shows. 

The group started to take things more seriously, rebranding as Fizzy Orange. They began writing their own music and moving away from the indie sound, joking that they were "definitely over the hump of trying to be Mac Demarco.'' Later on, Maxime (synths and keys) joined as the sixth member, propelling the band forward, shown through their recent gigs at Workman’s both in May and August, where they performed mostly original songs in their trademark high energy style. Their catchy lyrics, guitar riffs, and saxophone solos were held together by their front-man Kevin, and these performances cemented the group as both intriguing and accessible. The band also made their festival debut in July at All Together Now, fulfilling their summer goal of performing at a festival. 

Photo by Siofra Ferriter 

As a journalist, I was most interested in the songwriting and recording process for the band– a hybrid of styles but primarily analog. “I suppose it’s a coincidence most of our favourite music was recorded on analog. We are just six white dudes with guitars, so it’s nice to have a bit of a selling point. We like old school,” Kevin told me.

Digging a little further, I asked whether there was a deeper message beneath the music. They laughed, “You kind of sound like a prick when you start trying to explain your songs. Most of the best songs in the world have been written on a napkin. People like to read into stuff; it’s about whatever you want it to be about.” Still, there is a relatively strong romantic current to some of their music such as "Tell Me What You Want,"  "It’s easy to be alone/Where will you be girl when I get home." One must wonder about the inspiration...

Fizzy Orange also pay homage to legend Randy Newman in "Randy’s Song." They explain that their love songs aren’t about a particular person in general. “Most of the best songs in the world boil down to ‘I love you and you love me’, or ‘I love you and you don’t love me’” Jack explained. “The feelings you get when you’re with your friends, or partner, or people you like are universal. So is heartbreak”. The space for interpretation in their lyrics creates songs that can be anthems for everyone. 

As artists in 2021, there can often be an expectation that there is a responsibility to communicate the wider struggles of today through music. “Trying to write is the hardest part. What good would writing a song about social issues do? Go out and do something about injustice” Jack says. The humility and rawness of their responses is impressive. There is no sense of pretence in Fizzy Orange. It’s not that they don’t care about social issues; they simply don’t feel the need to perform to the ever-increasing expectation in the music industry that they’re woke. Music is music, and their music is fun, energetic and relatable. Take the character they create for "Who’s Yizer Man", a messy drunk we’ve all encountered - ”Who’s your man over there with the drink he’s all over the place / You might think he’s fine but he’s no friend of mine”, to classic love-song themes in "Wonder", ‘Nobody, no one but you can satisfy this hunger / I think that you can feel it too’. 

The quirkiness and creativity of the band is seen in their new single "Cafe Continental", in which a local cowboy named Johnno gets locked up for an unknown crime whilst wearing outlandish boots, gets into a gun fight, then returns to the aforementioned Cafe Continental to enact revenge, all to a backdrop of upbeat strumming and a groovy bassline; ‘Johnno’s coming home / He’s gonna wait for the day when you’re on your own / Johnno’s coming back, you know he just got out / You watch your back’. The song was written about a character they met on Fairview’s Annesley Bridge. It’s their interpretation of a Thin Lizzy song; “an ode to Dublin.”

This summer saw the band in London, with shows around the city and a creative base in their shared house. They wanted their London shows to be accessible. The sense of exclusivity in the Dublin music scene is not something they condone. The neighbourhood feel in Dublin has created a lack of sincerity. “Every time I talk to someone in this city’s music scene I have a fear I’ll say something that offends them. You worry if someone’s booking acts for a festival and you’ve said something about someone they went to school with they won’t take you. His uncle’s mate’s best friend heard you’re a dickhead, that sort of thing. I’m done with that. I wish people saw things at face value” Kevin remarks. Social media, although an important marketing tool can also be divisive. “If promoters only want people that look a certain way, it doesn’t work. It has to be a space where everybody feels safe, and everybody feels included.”

The band next performs at a secret outdoor gig on the 27th, hosted by House of Hibernia. With a winning combination of open mindedness, strong musical talent and integrity, Fizzy Orange are ones to watch.