Emotional Oranges on their New Album, Touring, and their Hopes for 2023
The R&B-Pop Duo sits down with L'Officiel Singapore and tells all
Known for their hit singles 'West Coast Love', 'Make Me Wanna', 'Motion', 'Bounce', and 'Petty', American R&B-Pop duo Emotional Oranges have returned with their third instalment of The Juice. With eight new tracks, The Juice Vol III features a body of work inspired by genres – alternative R&B, soul and funk. The underrated duo, comprising members A and V, has now garnered over 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, with their music being used on popular shows like Love Island and Gossip Girl as well.
This January, we sat down with A and V to talk about all things music. Below, the duo share the inspiration behind their new album, its creative process, memorable moments from touring, their hopes for 2023, and more.
Congrats on the release of your new album! Tell us what inspired the sound of The Juice Vol III.
A: Thank you! The sound of the project was inspired by a difficult breakup I was going through, as well as a spontaneous trip to Mykonos. We wanted to create a sonic throughline between the first two volumes while also experimenting a bit and stepping out of our comfort zone musically.
V: Thank you so much! Sonically, the project has many layers; there’s no one sound as they were all made at different times and places along our journey in the last couple of years. But I would say that there is a consistent tone of authenticity within the content of our lyrics.
The songs are inspired by the journey of a relationship from the butterflies to the good, the bad and the ugly moments in between, and in this case, the end of one. Personally, I was inspired by what my 15-year-old self would lay down in the booth. I grew up in New York City, listening to soulful ‘90s R&B harmonies and New York hip-hop.
Do your creative processes differ? If so, how?
A: My creative process honestly just depends on what mood I'm in. Sometimes, it could start with a production idea like flipping a sample or an interesting guitar riff. Other times, I could freestyle a topline melody or lyric concept and build the song out from there. I try to start something new every time I'm in the studio.
V: Our processes are different but do have many similarities. We both love artists like Sade, Janet Jackson, and even Curtis Mayfield. Sonically, we tend to be in sync as our music tastes cover a large spectrum.
My process begins well before the studio with a consistent routine of stretching, meditation, and a workout. This grounds me and gives me clarity for the day so when I get into the studio I can communicate my melodies and cadences from places of instinct and emotion.
My favourite way to start writing a song is by free-styling different melodies and creating cadences to the beat. Then the lyrics begin to fall into place and when it all connects into a unique story we know we have a song.
How do you picture someone listening to the album?
A: Play the tape from top to bottom while you're getting ready to go on a date or out with your friends to feel your most confident! Or when you're driving top down on the highway on a day with perfect weather.
V: My favourite place to listen to albums growing up was on the subway in NYC. I would put my headphones in and zone out. Now, living in LA, I love blasting my music alone in my car because I can turn the volume all the way up and jam out without anyone seeing me. But maybe the best way to listen to this album would be to put your headphones on, don an oversized sweater, and sit in your favourite chair with a warm matcha latte with oat milk. Don’t forget to get up and dance when you need to!
Which song from the album was the most fun to produce and why?
A: Definitely ‘On My Way’. That was actually a track I started in Mykonos and ended up finishing after we played this festival called ‘Rocking the Daisies’ in South Africa. It was a lot of fun to experiment with some Middle Eastern rhythms I heard growing up, mixed with some of that Amapiano flavour.
V: I laughed the most while making ‘Make Me Wanna’ because we had an ant infestation in the studio during the recording process and our engineer Dan had to take vacuum breaks. We ended up filming it on our Instagram and our fans loved the snippet so much that they began calling it “The Vacuum Song”. It became our own little cult classic before it was even released.
You’ve had quite the year! What was the most memorable moment of touring for you both?
A: The wildest moment of 2022 was going to Korea for the first time and being one of the headliners at the Haus of Wonder festival. I've never felt more love on stage than I did that night in Seoul. Seeing over 15,000 fans have that level of emotional connection to the music and lyrics that you wrote was incredible.
V: Our Cape Town show was my favourite performance to date. Everything from the stage design to the unexpected pyro explosion was a thrill to be a part of. The fans were incredible, we came halfway across the globe and they knew every single word. And performing at a festival in Africa, on my birthday, made me feel more connected to my roots and my father, to who I dedicated the show.
If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead?
A: Another one of my passions is design. Whether it's making clothes, products like tea or hot sauces, and eventually, furniture and homes, I just want to impact people's daily experiences positively. I'm obsessed with the process of helping to create something from scratch and seeing it through execution. It brings me equally as much joy when I see people's reactions to it.
V: I would still be a storyteller. Either through acting or designing fashion. Connecting with people through story and art is where I’m the happiest.
What are you looking forward to in the new year?
A: I'm looking forward to improving my health and continuing my growth as a human. I couldn't be more excited to write, travel, and perform these new songs to our fans all over the world, but especially in Asia! It's been a dream of mine since I was in High School to visit places like Singapore, Bangkok, Manila, and Jakarta. Being fully independent now, there's no limit to our imagination and where this music can take us.
V: We’re creating a brand new show. We have fans that have been to four to five of our performances and we really want to keep pushing the envelope and evolving as both artists and performers. At the same time, I’m so excited to finally be coming to countries we have yet to visit and meet more of the Emotional Oranges community in Asia. DJ-ing is also a big passion of mine, A and I recently did a DJ set in Korea and had the time of our lives. Keep a look out for Emotional Orange sets in the near future.
