Interview W/ Orange Doors

Charleston, South Carolina's Orange Doors have never been a band content with staying inside the lines. Blending psychedelic rock, indie, grunge and experimental pop into a kaleidoscopic sound of their own, the quartet unveil their latest EP, Corn Planet. Following the release of singles "Infection" and "Gizmo Gadget", as well as their collaboration with The Olivia Tremor Control's John Fernandes on "Tornado", the band have pushed their sonic ambitions even further, enlisting New Zealand indie stalwarts Ryan McPhun (The Ruby Suns) and Bevan Smith (The Beths) to help bring their vision to life.

Described by the band as a nostalgic, adventurous journey into an imagined world, Corn Planet expands Orange Doors' ever-evolving sound into something both grand and deeply personal. We caught up with the band to discuss the inspiration behind the EP, embracing experimentation, and where their musical journey leads next.

1. Corn Planet is such an intriguing title. What inspired the name, and what kind of world do you hope listeners imagine when they press play?

Orange Doors: Thank you! We are 90s kids and we're going for something that kind of sounded like it was from that era. We hope listeners imagine a world filled with color, adventure, wonder, and nostalgia.

2. You've described the EP as a "sonic journey." Where does that journey begin, and where does it leave the listener by the end?

Orange Doors: The journey begins with the first single "we built a slide". The beginning of this song has a bit of a spacey feel which also aligns with the EP title. The EP ends with "Kickball" a slower acoustic build song we felt was perfect for a closer. It's not really a story per se, more so a collection of tracks that weren't meant to be heard together.

3. How has the band's sound evolved since your previous releases, and what makes Corn Planet feel like a new chapter?

Orange Doors: Corn Planet sounds vastly different from our previous album Slaphappy. We used many different instruments, recording techniques, and worked with a new producer on it.

4. You worked with Ryan McPhun and Bevan Smith, two respected figures in New Zealand's indie scene. What did they bring to the project that elevated your vision?

Orange Doors: Ryan pretty quickly understood what we were trying to do with the EP sonically. He was really able to bring it to the next level with his unique mixing knowledge and interesting gear. Bevan then took the tracks and widened them into a massive yet raw feel that we were looking for.

5. Your music effortlessly blends psychedelic rock, indie, grunge, and experimental pop. Do you consciously think about genre when writing, or do you simply follow where the songs lead?

Orange Doors: Thank you! We do our best. We usually listen to where the song is leading us while keeping in mind what the new section will take to really capture the feel.

6. Psychedelic music often invites listeners to interpret songs in their own way. How much of Corn Planet has a defined narrative versus being open to interpretation?

Orange Doors: One of the songs has a defined narrative, the rest are open to interpretation which is usually the case for us.

7. What role does experimentation play in your songwriting? Do you ever set creative rules, or is everything fair game?

Orange Doors: It plays a huge role. We want every song to have its own identity and that can take tons of different layer that we build up over time. I'd say everything is fair game.

8. Is there one track on the EP that best captures everything Orange Doors is about as a band?

Orange Doors: Yes! "A Crack and a Peep" would be that track. We feel it perfectly represents what we and who are as a band.

9. With Corn Planet pushing your sound into new territory, where do you see Orange Doors heading next?

Orange Doors: We want to hit the road again and play some tours and fests! Also looking to build on this EP and make a full length album that will come out next year.

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