This six-piece soul group from Dublin are filling up venues in both the Irish and English capital cities, and have been praised for their DIY approach to making music. Their onward trajectory is not one to be missed. We sat down with the band for a peek into what life looks like in Fizzy Orange.
Your sound has been described as “an analogue-only amalgamation of 60s songwriting, 70s studio sounds and the 80s home-recording revolution”. What drew you into this particular space, and how has your sound evolved?
I think our first obsessive states in music came when we were about 15 or 16. The whole indie sleaze/lo-fi thing was really popping off at the time. It’s hard to imagine that sound not being in the mainstream these days (I don’t think that’s a bad thing). From there, I think it was our parents’ influence; mainly 70s/80s soft rock and ska tied in pretty nicely with our established interest. Examples include: Allman Brothers, Steely Dan, Bad Manners, Sham 69, etc…
Any critical need-to-knows for aspiring artists?
It’s cringe, but really just do your own thing.
What is your go-to recording and production equipment, and why?
Up until 2022, everything was usually done on a Tascam 244. In January of that year we went to Sonic Studios in Dublin, where we worked with Dan Fox of Gilla Band. Respectfully, the music we make isn’t exactly the same – rather the opposite – but he has great vision, really got us sounding how we like.
I’ve bought some nice old machines since living in London, so the next EP will probably be on another Tascam (38) or a Fostex R8 – whichever one doesn’t break first…
What are three top tips for ensuring top-quality production on a budget?
- Record live.
- Don’t use the same shit effects or outboards that everyone else has – you’d be surprised at what you can find on eBay that’ll give you funky sounds.
- Mix and master on the spot.
What’s the best and worst piece of advice you were given when you first started out, and why did they stick with you?
Best: Work on making your live show the best it can be.
Worst: Take every gig!
What’s next for Fizzy Orange?
We’ve got an EP coming out before March this year! We’ll also be putting a single to vinyl for the first time ever. We’re very excited about that. After that, we’re off to the countryside to work on… something. I don’t know what ‘something’ is, but we’re hoping for an album!
