We have been occasionally reviewing Mexican – British trio I See Orange on our blog in the past and I kinda regret that we are always so short of time. Otherwise I`d probably write more about their craft – a brilliant mix of punk, grunge, college rock with some metal/goth elements thrown in for good measure. It is a band that is essential to know, if you consider yourself a fan of independent music, especially here in the UK. No, I don`t care that we are supposed to be listening to shitty tunes of nobody of interest at Island Records or get excited because another conservative nepo baby plays a festival. If that`s the definition of the music industry, then burn the whole circus down. Real music and culture these days won’t be found in music magazines or even be mentioned by so called music writers. Yet, it exists out there and if you can find it, then you know how rewarding it is to stumble upon an authentic, grass roots band with a claw and a message.
If you are sick and tired of bullshit being pushed as entertainment, please feel free to join me in praising I See Orange`s debut album “Pining For Apollo”. Not just because it`s a great record, but more importantly what the band has done to achieve such a debut and expertise in less than five years.
The lead vocalist and frontwoman Giselle moved to the UK in 2021 and originally wanted to continue her solo career (which is pretty impressive as well), but driven by desire to make friends posted an ad to look for bandmates. Within months she was joined by Cameron (guitars) and Charlie (drumes). The trio met in a restaurant with a strong orange decor on the walls and almost immediately settled on the name. It may sound simplistic but even so, this is how most bands are formed. Few local musicians meetup, choose a name and then lock themselves up in a rehearsal room to write up some material. There is no need for dramas or some special circumstances. And then, once some songs are composed, the same folks will hit local venues and digitally release a single or two.
I See Orange announced themselves to the public with a mellow and guitar driven “Simply” in 2022. And then hit the Wiltshire circuit to build themselves a reputation of a solid local rock act. By their second single “Fairy”, they progressed to playing small venues in London and beyond as people genuinely seemed to like them. Word of mouth is a great thing and I recommend everyone using it. Best marketing tool you will ever have at your disposal. If there is an act you like, tell your friends about them, buy a tee, put their song as a ring on your phone, and take your mates to a gig. Small acts like these were crucial in lifting I See Orange in less than a year into a sought after act.
When the trio released their debut EP “Lonesome Joy” in 2023, they weren’t just a small fry in a small pond. They were quite a sizable and well recognized artists in their locality because good people of Wiltshire were talking about them. And again, for the people in the back, by the bar and the speakers – nothing lifts artists so well than few fans raving about that new band at work. It beats that million quid that Beckhams apparently invested so their kid Cruz could get some quasi street cred by playing a few venues across the country.
By 2024, I See Orange were not just turning heads of local gig goers. They were accruing international audiences, being played on KEXP, college radio networks in US, Canada and Mexico and building a sizable following on YouTube channel. To date, some of their videos gathered half a million views. On the strength of that interest, the band played SXSW and New Colossus festivals in the US.
You should think of “Pining for Apollo” as one of the unsung albums of 2026. The trio released it on the 4th of September, a bit later in the year, but do not underestimate the value of the record. In my opinion, many artists can learn a lot from I See Orange and how they handled the release. I have already mentioned they concentrated on playing gigs and building their online presence on one particular platform (you don’t really need a wide array of socials), but it was their way of not promoting the album in a traditional sense of the word that is crucial here. I See Orange manage themselves, like many independent musicians do. They release their music digitally and make their own music videos. With this record, they decided not to employ music pluggers or chase blogs for reviews.
I don’t imply that you shouldn’t send our music out. There are blogs like ours who will always champion new artists. And having a few reviews or interviews is always helpful. But chasing publicity should not be the main goal. The same goes for online presence. I absolutely hate all those staged reels asking for shares and telling people “they have rare music taste” or “waiting for the algorithm to find you”. It turns artists into digital beggars and somehow, everyone is doing it recently. Just stop. Have some dignity. Put out a good live clip like I See Orange are doing and you will have the same reach. Or even better, you will be coming across as doing your own thing rather than chasing clicks.
“Pining for Apollo” is not being played on 100’s of online radio stations either. Save that grand and invest it into your band. One play on the BBC Introducing or 6 Music is not going to change things. Send your music to DJ’s you know and you may score a play, but 99 out of 100 artists on commercial radio stations are coming from major labels or are industry plants. Literally, nobody is listening to some unknown online radio stations these days, and they do not pay license fees to PPL or PRS either. Again, there are good radio stations and good radio shows that will get your rights protected, but it is very much quality over quantity. One strategically placed airplay is better than ten plays on a station with no real audience.
I See Orange has been described as possessing rare maturity and real insight into the music business that makes them stand out from their contemporaries. And it’s not just their presence online or ditching of the money throwing exercises. They draw a line between themselves as musicians or entertainers and the public. They do not fraternize too often, nor chase the fan approval.
I know similar sounding bands that spend so much time interacting online and making sure every post is having dozens of comments. It makes them engage with people online surely, but also attracts netizens who represent the worst sentiments. There is nothing worse than a progressive act bringing in a crowd made entirely of old, white conservative men. Obviously, having veteran gig goers among your audience is great but not when they turn out racist, misogynistic or transphobic. Or when they only take pictures with female members of the band ignoring everyone else and then post them online with creepy comments. Or when they violently dominate mosh pits and kick out girls to the back. We don’t tell anybody to be sexist, but when you are a young, starting band and nobody under 40 comes to see you, then consider changing a scene. Unless you want to be like The Molotovs – teenagers playing for people older than their grandparents. Gigs should be open for everyone, have an age diverse public in attendance and safe atmosphere. This is something that every band should strive for.
I See Orange make sure that their audience is varied, their message progressive and inclusive, their lyrics direct and uncompromised. I always say that an artist doesn’t have to be Macklemore or Delilah Bon. They can easily say what they need to say through their music. Anyway, enough of the tips and tricks.
“Pining for Apollo” is as much a masterclass in music as well as taking on the current state of the industry. The record includes 13 tracks and serves as a summary of everything they released in the last two years: from their Halloween themed “La Bruja” to their most popular songs such as “Doll Guts” and “Wine Boy”.
Musically, it is past meets the present, a galore of post grunge, alternative rock and adult contemporary. The band takes listeners on a musical journey that is quite exciting. “Mental Riot” offers metal riffs that would make A Perfect Circle perfectly green with envy. Then there is mellow “Velvet Scars” that could be Hope Sandolaval’s signature tune if Mazzy Star singer fronted Veruca Salt. “Crow Fields” is a homage to all the female bands from the Olympia scene, while “Slept At Last” is borrowing a few pages of Alanis Morrissette’s rock manual.
I See Orange front woman, Giselle is not just a brilliant singer or story teller. She is maybe first and foremost, a truly prodigal bass player. The sounds she can get out from her guitar are nothing short of wonder. Her bandmates, Cameron (guitar) and Charlie (drums), are not too far behind. These two are pulling off something that hasn’t been seen since 1994, when the British quartet Bush released “Everything Zen” – showing Americans that “their” sort of music can be made somewhere else in the world. “All in all, “Pining for Apollo” is one of a kind of a record.
One thing I personally would like to see more of is Giselle singing in Spanish more often. There is only one song on the album (“DĂmelo”) showing that she is bilingual. Come on artists, don’t be afraid to write songs in more than one language, mix your lyrics. We are living in a global village, speak to the entire world. You don’t have to be chained to the common speech only. It always works to your advantage to be brave, experimental and unconventional in every department.
Sad thought for the end of this review though. We tend to spend so much money on nepo babies such as Olivia Vedder or Violet Grohl who have famous fathers, all the connections and not even a third of Giselle’s talent or wisdom. Maybe festivals and bookers should stop sitting on their asses and organize a proper tour for I See Orange. Nepo babies will be ok. Genuinely important, working class bands could use some help.
I said what I said.
You can follow the band on socials:
https://iseeorange.hearnow.com/pining-for-apollo
https://iseeorange.myshopify.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ISEEORANGE
https://x.com/ISEEORANGEMUSIC
https://www.instagram.com/iseeorangemusic
https://www.tiktok.com/@iseeorangemusic
https://www.youtube.com/@iseeorange
https://soundcloud.com/iseeorange
https://iseeorange.bandcamp.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6cJ25fDskdm7xKrfr9TL6A
Malicia Dabrowcz
