After performing in bands for over a decade, I decided in 2020 to adopt the stage name ‘Dr Orange’ and began releasing music under that pseudonym the same year. Due to the pandemic, it wasn’t exactly the smoothest start but with features in Clash Magazine and Louder than War, and surpassing 100k plays on Spotify is by far my most successful musical venture to date as an independent artist.
2023, however, was the year ‘Dr Orange’ really turned a corner. In May, I released my fourth single ’17’, a song I’d been saving for several years. The launch of ’17’ took place in late April at the Kaz stockroom, a venue which famously draws the best from the audience and is an integral part of the Liverpool music scene. The show lived up to expectations, selling out the 100-capacity venue and ‘17’ would go on to be my highest streamed and best-received song to date. I would attribute selling the show out to several factors, firstly the gig had been announced for several months which led to a steady flow of ticket sales, coupled with a campaign of acoustic performances at open mics around the city in the months leading up to it where I would have a QR code on my phone and plug the event. However, people who perform in Liverpool will be aware of the fact that a lot of the time people wait until the last minute to come to a show and this was, again, the case here with close to 50 tickets selling on the night. The success of the single, funnily enough, comes down to the lovely Nordic country of Finland who make up the majority of the streams for the song, I can offer no reason for this and it’s somewhat befalling but thank you Finland!
In the past, I’d always said I’d never put an album out unless I believed it would chart…however as the years have gone by, I have come to appreciate the art of songwriting as a concept more than the idea of musical success and have decided to release my debut album in 2024. I feel its a fine line between artistry and success and It could be argued the more success you have the more your artistry can flourish, however, in this case, I feel holding off releasing a body of work for another year or so would be more of a hindrance than a help…art for art's sake and all that.
Another driving force in this change of plans is the simple fact that 2023 was my most productive year as a songwriter since I was probably 17, no pun intended, or 18. I also fear that if I were to shelve any more songs, they simply would never see the light of day. If you are a prolific songwriter then there is nothing worse than seeing demo after demo and studio session after studio session pile up in a folder on your laptop in seas of hypothetical albums and EP’s.
I recall a conversation I had with fellow local musician Thom Morecroft (see p. 24) about this topic. We were both in attendance at the wake of legendary Southbound Attic Band bassist Ronnie Clarke over the summer, and Thom was encouraging the release of an album to me. At the time I vehemently disagreed, but such is the ficklety of life that these motions can change on a spring.
Interestingly enough, I always assumed that when I was to put an album out it would be somewhat a ‘greatest hit’ of all the songs I’d written since I was young. With the track listing now solidified I realise most of the songs are in fact new compositions. Funnily enough, they fit together nicely with the old and make me even more excited to share this body of work with the world. As I had originally planned a 7 track EP to come out before making the decision to do an album perhaps it is simply the fact that the songs fit together so well which is the leading reason for its release and the moral of the story could be, if it feels right it usually is. I feel like this approach is definitely the right way to go about things as opposed to trying to build a body of work around a few solid singles which more times than not leads to more filler and less thriller.
My improved knowledge of all things music industry and something which has definitely assisted me with all things ‘Dr Orange’ is my enrolling in Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) in 2022 to do music management.
My connection with LIPA began shortly before I enrolled, performing in a mock-Beatles band for Paul McCartney’s 80th birthday which he told us he thought was ‘Fab!’ which was slightly mind blowing. The relationship between musicians who attend LIPA and the wider Liverpool music scene, however, has not always been harmonious. I must admit, I previously harboured somewhat of a disdain for the students there myself. I can’t particularly remember why I had these feelings, similar to an old footballing rivalry. Perhaps It comes down to their unrivalled enthusiasm which sometimes rubs off a little sour, or the fact they used to keep more to themselves and seemed only to play shows in Liverpool as a box-ticking exercise.
In recent years, however, I found this relationship improving, with more and more students and independent artists at the university immersing themselves in the live music scene and being part of the musical community in Liverpool. It is most definitely a positive that this is occurring as the array of talent which LIPA attracts is second to none and for bands on the scene looking for players to perform with LIPA is the perfect breeding ground, the free-to-use practice rooms for students are also a huge plus!
Recently I have had the pleasure of being part of the team running LIPA Live at The Cavern, a monthly gig showcasing the best of the best that LIPA has to offer. The aim of these shows in one of the world's most famous venues is to further ingrain the acts of LIPA into the music scene in Liverpool with the emphasis being more on the event being just a regular gig rather than a university showcase. So far, we have sold out all the shows there and this has led to the formation of ‘LIPA Spotlight’, another events company which will give even more opportunities to the students to perform regularly in the city. This has led me to be very excited for 2024 and the further building of bridges between one of, if not the most important musical cities in the world and a university which in recent years has produced success stories such as The Wombats, Clean Cut Kid and Crawlers and with students working with acts such as Circa Waves and Pixey. These LIPA Live at The Cavern and LIPA Spotlight shows give people the opportunity to see acts which may one day go on to have the same successes as the aforementioned for free or very little money and are definitely not to be missed!
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