The Glow and Beyond: Mild Orange on Love, Longevity, and Letting It Flow
From packed-out pubs in Dunedin to glowing stages around the world, Mild Orange has crafted a sound that’s as sincere as it is expansive. Blending raw beginnings with cinematic ambition, the New Zealand-based band continues to evolve without losing the pulse of what makes them magnetic. We got to ask members Barry, Mehrt, and Jah about the making of their newest album THE//GLOW (which will be out on August 8th), the stories behind their most personal tracks, and how they balance creative curiosity with an ever-growing global fanbase.
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HOW TO MILD ORANGE COME TOGETHER? WAS THERE A SPECIFIC MOMENT WHEN YOU KNEW THIS WAS THE BAND?
Barry: “I remember Mehrt messaging me back in 2017 asking if I wanted to play drums for a new group he was starting with Jah. I told him I sucked at the drums, but I could play bass. At the time, Jack and I were playing in another band, ‘Albion Place’, so I told Mehrt we could both come and play to make up the band. The first few shows were really great, super raw, playing in tiny pubs and venues in Dunedin, mostly to our drunk mates. There was a great energy in those early days that we have maintained throughout, especially in our live shows, we like to go pretty wild.”
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE MILD ORANGE SOUND TO SOMEONE WHO’S NEVER HEARD YOUR MUSIC BEFORE?
Mehrt: “We’ve often described it as ‘melting melodies’. Our sound is warm, sincere, nostalgic, and hopefully leaves you feeling like everything’s gonna be all right.”
LET’S TALK ABOUT THE//GLOW. WHAT DOES THAT TITLE MEAN TO YOU, AND HOW DOES IT THREAD THROUGH THE RECORD?
Mehrt: “While writing this record, we moved hemispheres, toured the world a couple of times, and all lived together in a flat in London along with each of our partners and our mate Isaac (9 of us total!). There were plenty of good times and a lot of challenges to keeping our dream alive in a new hemisphere. The//Glow to me is this ideal state when you find your groove and are able to dance through life. This collection of songs are either longing for that glow, in that glow, or made from absence of that glow. The record is sonically split into two parts: one part for the glow of the great wide open, and one part for the glow of the city. Looking forward to playing it live and seeing us glow on stage.”
WAS THE A PARTICULAR MOMENT OR MOOD THAT SPARKED THE FIRST TRACK ON THIS ALBUM?
Barry: “The first track we started writing was ‘Right or Wrong’, back in 2021. The song has been started and stopped multiple times since then. I think the fact we kept revisiting the song is testament to its vibe; we knew something was there. It’s had multiple interpretations, I’m glad we persevered with it! We have other tracks on the album that have also taken time, we started ‘Searching For’ in 2022 and was sparked from a move to London, the big smoke! Sometimes songs that take the longest to make are the best, a lot of love goes into them.”
WHAT’S A LYRIC OR A MOMENT ON THE ALBUM THAT HITS YOU PERSONALLY EVERY TIME YOU HEAR IT?
Mehrt: “‘Silver Star’ is a very personal song for me. I wrote the lyrics for my wife, who grew up on a horse ranch in the Midwest. I’m really proud of everything we in the band gave of ourselves toward making that song. Sounds as corny as Kansas in August, but it gives me chills when I hear it. It comes from a really sincere and loving place.”
Jah: “Lyrics aside, I do agree with Mehrt in that ‘Silver Star’ is a special track. It was the final piece of the puzzle on the album and, in a way, is the perfect summary of us as a band, and of this album as a whole. I always smile when that track comes on when I’m out walking! It’s also quite indicative of a sound I think we’d like to further explore.”
HOW DO YOU BALANCE STAYING TRUE TO YOUR SOUND WHILE ALSO PUSHING YOURSELVES CREATIVELY?
Mehrt: “By staying curious and trying to be open to learning new things.”
Jah: “I try to keep up with recent releases from an array of genres, not just what’s happening in our scene. I also read about a writing technique from Jeff Tweedy - where he keeps guitars in various rooms in his house in different tunings to try and keep him experimenting and throwing his understanding of the fretboard out the window. I’ve tried to adopt that, and funnily enough, is how the chord progression of ‘Silver Star’ was written.”
YOU HAVE A GLOBAL FANBASE, BUT THE MUSIC STILL FEELS INCREDIBLY INTIMATE. HOW DO YOU KEEP THAT CONNECTION ALIVE?
Mehrt: “That’s cool you say that. We’ve always had a worldly ambition to make things that’ll resonate across the world. But before we share things with the world, we make sure that we absolutely believe and love what we’re making. People like people loving what they do. We also try our best to respond to messages online, and of course, touring helps make this whole thing have a human connection!”
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SONG TO PLAY LIVE FROM THE NEW RECORD, AND WHY?
Mehrt: “I’m anticipating ‘Silver Star’ to be my favourite. We haven’t played it live yet, and I know it’s going to be a puzzle to figure out how to bring it to the stage, but it excites me thinking about playing it. The outro of the song will be so euphoric!”
THERE’S A STRONG VISUAL AND EMOTIONAL TONE OT YOUR WORK. DID YOU HAVE ANY CINEMATIC OR ARTISTIC REFERENCES IN MIN WHILE CREATING THE//GLOW?
Mehrt: “I think it’s really important to include a visual element in order to show wider storytelling, providing context, and showing culture. It’s just as much fun working on the visual side as it is working on music. Soaking in London, spending time on the road, and being in nature have been the main inspirations. Yayoi Kusama is always there as a visual inspo for me. Our mate Rob Thorogood has been instrumental in capturing a lot of the vibe with his filming style, which he does on 16mm film and VHS. Jack also took a lot of great Wild West-style photos in USA, which we’ve used for single art. And then for the artwork and design that I do, I’ve been slowly honing a visual style that’s colourful, saturated, and tries to mimic the grit, shine, and glow of the records. It’s more interesting to present ourselves impressionistically and beyond reality. E.g. ‘Welcome Back (To The//Glow)’ video which has CRAZY colours.”
WHAT DO YOU HOPE LISTENERS FEEL OR TAKE WITH THEM AFTER EXPERIENCING THIS ALBUM FRONT TO BACK?
Jah: “I think on this record we’ve continued our quest to shake the mould of a ‘bedroom pop’ band, a reputation that has stuck with us since our debut. This album delves into an array of genres and explores sounds that we as listeners ourselves are inspired and influenced by. I would hope people walk away after listening to this album and feel like they’ve experienced a new side to us, one that is reminiscent of our previous releases while also being suggestive of future sounds to come.”
Whether you’re catching them live or getting lost in their warm, shimmering recordings, it’s clear Mild Orange isn’t chasing trends, they’re chasing truth. THE//GLOW reflects a band unafraid to explore, to grow, and to let their music speak beyond borders. As they continue carving their path, one thing is certain: the glow is very real, and they’re taking us with them.
