Set will be available June 17th
Across various cultures and belief systems, the color orange symbolizes sunshine, creativity, heat, freedom, fascination, and fire. Mt. Joy channels this bright, bold, and brilliant energy on their 2022 third full-length offering, Orange Blood, which is set to release on June 17th via Island Records. The title track, which was is available now, hinges on gently strummed guitar as woozy vocals echo over sparse swells of sound before the central hummable harmony drifts in and out of focus.
Orange Blood explores a sonic spectrum of eloquent daydreams, blissful guitar-propelled psychedelic rock, and artful alternative alchemy siphoned from sessions in the Southern California desert under a watchful sun. When the global pandemic upended the bands tour with The Lumineers in 2020, Matt and Sam retreated into the desert. Holing up in a house with Matt’s girlfriend and brother, shroom-fueled detours, late-night conversations about life, and a thirst for reprieve brought Orange Blood to life.
“I was definitely drawn to the color orange,” explains lead singer Matt Quinn. “When we were in the desert, everything revolved around the sun. I started playing with the idea that the light we see is this sort of orange blood that runs through all of us and gives life to everything it touches.”
“Our last album was a breakup record,” notes Matt. “It had a darker feel. When we were in Joshua Tree, there were so many sad things in the world. We wanted to build something that found beauty in the fact the world has always been crazy. We were trying to find a way to be present enough to appreciate our surroundings even if they’re in decay.” Returning to Philadelphia, they put the finishing touches on the album in a house with the full lineup and longtime producer and collaborator Caleb Nelson.
Kicking off their forthcoming album, Mt. Joy released “Lemon Tree” which was hailed as “a next-level song” by NPR. The band also recently announced their US headlining Orange Blood 2022 Tour (with special guests Grammy-nominated West Coast singer-songwriter Madison Cunningham, LA based indie-folk trio Wilderado, and The Brook & The Bluff). The tour will kick off in South Carolina on June 16th and make stops in Seattle, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, New Orleans, and Dallas before wrapping in Austin, Texas on November 5. (Please see complete tour dates below.) The tour will follow their sold out spring run which included closing out SXSW to a crowd of 14k at Auditorium Shores last month.
