BIO
A shoo-in to succeed the Bay Area rock throne long left vacant by Steve-Perry-era Journey, Oranger is a band whose career to date has been punctuated by critical success and a highly enviable tour history. As Oranger releases its 4th full-length, New Comes and Goes, the band discovers it’s at its strongest when it does what it knows best―playing rock music irreverent of time and place. The following is a little history to put these rock stars into human perspective.
In 1997, both guitarist/vocalist Mike Drake and bassist/vocalist Matt Harris shared a bit of band-less malaise after a stint with pop/punk outfit Overwhelming Colorfast. Drake and Harris soon found the perfect complement to their duo, and a near replica of Sesame Street’s Animal, in drummer Jim Lindsay. Oranger was born.
A year later, Oranger released the self-produced Doorway To Norway on Pray For Mojo (later to be re-released on Amazing Grease). Over the next year and a half the band amassed a devout hometown following with strong songwriting and the added help of Lindsay’s notorious onstage antics and guerrilla attacks on the drums. In 1999, Oranger introduced itself to all of California as the support band for Pavement. By the end of 2000, the band had completed a West Coast jaunt with 16 Deluxe and a European support slot for Elliot Smith, virtually cementing Oranger’s standing at the very least as “a band’s band.” One thing was clear: even if you didn’t like Oranger’s music, you sure did enjoy the band’s company.
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