By Jeb Wright
Orange Sky may be the best kept
secret in the world of Rock music today. If the band has
anything to say about that, then their secret is about to be
told to the world. The band has been invited to open for
King’s X for their 2009 tour. Orange Sky mix Heavy Metal and
Reggae, a most unusual mix of music. However, one listen to
the band’s remake of the Scorpion’s classic "Is There
Anybody There?" and one will see how cool this melding of
musical styles can be. Don’t be lulled into thinking that
this is a band that can only remake other’s songs, though.
The beauty of Orange Sky’s music is the fact that their
original compositions contain a perfect mix of island music
and headbanging hell.
The band was discovered by
Kansas drummer Phil Ehart and Kansas producer Jeff Glixman
in Trinidad, years earlier when Kansas was recording their
album Freaks of Nature. Glixman recalls hearing the
band and being impressed with their music, "A friend of mine
had been involved in the building of a fabulous recording
studio. It was an elaborate facility with a rehearsal space
upstairs, from which emanated this incredible music. After a
week or so of listening through the door, I introduced
myself to the band and we started working together."
Pre-Orange Sky, the band
were known as Jaundsis-I. The band featured teenagers Nigel
Rojas and Mark Dopson, who are now the two guitarists in
Orange Sky. Glixman lost touch with the band until one day
Rojas contacted him to tell him about his new band. Glixman
remembers the odd mixture of musical styles standing out to
him from the very beginning, "Jaundis-I was a fabulous Hard
Rock/Reggae band and Orange Sky continues in that tradition.
However, this band is much more powerful, heavier, and
rather than Reggae there is the infusion of Caribbean
rhythms in the vocal phrasing mixed with an almost Metal
soundtrack."
Glixman admits that while
their music is much different, there are a few similarities
between Kansas and Orange Sky, "[Both bands have a] ‘lets
see what we can play’ philosophy towards the boundaries of
material and also have the same extreme level of
musicianship." Glixman goes on to describe how the band work
together to create their music, "They approach the studio
very much as they approach their writing. Nigel fleshes out
the broad strokes of the material and then the band executes
their parts."
Orange Sky is a unique
blending of sounds, complete with complex musical passages,
wonderful harmony guitar solos and unique vocal styling.
Combined that with their ability to write meaningful lyrics
and their lack of fear of volume and you have a true killer
Rock band just waiting to break out.
Jeb: Trinidad is not known
for Heavy Metal. Where did the Metal influence come from?
How did you discover it?
Nigel: In the early Eighties,
on a certain radio station in Trinidad, on a Thursday night,
there was a radio show called Rock Concert. The DJ
would play Hard Rock and Metal, all the good stuff, for
about three hours, music like Ozzy, Judas Priest, Iron
Maiden, Hendrix, AC/DC and many more. There was immediately
a demand for the records, posters and tapes. I was about 10
and got very swept away by the sound of the music, the
spirit of the lyrics and the mystical vibe that Metal bands
held at that time.
My brother and I were freaks
and wanted to do nothing but listen to, and jam along with
our guitars, to Metal. Richard Hall, our keyboard player,
was also a rock freak and even now owns over five thousand
classic vinyl Metal and Hard Rock albums. That is how we all
got started, and the rest is history. We are all huge music
fans in this band, so we are influenced by all that we love
in music.
Jeb: Reggae and Metal
is new mix of musical visions. One is peace and ganja and
one is destruction and genocide. At what point did you put
all of this together and how long did it take before it
sounded the way you wanted it?
Nigel: It was not a conscious decision, we love Rock and
love Reggae... We are Island boys, and grew up listening to
Bob Marley and Jacob Miller, at the same time jamming
Motorhead and Metallica, so it is in our blood, in our
subconscious and it happens naturally. I write 90% of the
music and was always stoked at the prospect of playing heavy
and spirited, but not compromising my Caribbean voice or
accent, and the result is what you hear when we play our
music; it sounds exactly how we want it to.
Jeb: Do you ever worry you are too eclectic to make it
big in the USA? Or are you not worried about sharing the
stage with Britney?
Nigel: I'll share anything with Britney! Just kidding, I am
not worried about being too eclectic, and definitely not
preoccupied with "making it." If I spend all my time
worrying about being commercially successful and planning
all the good times ahead based on that, then I would not be
able to enjoy what is happening right now, which is a hell
of a lot of fun.
In terms of the eclectic
thing, I used to hear that about Mastodon not too long ago
and I heard that about Korn in the early Nineties as well,
then, POOF, they are the biggest thing in Rock. Staying true
to what you do is a must, no matter what.
Jeb: Before we get into
discussing Dat Iz Voodoo, how did you get hooked up
with Jeff Glixman and Phil Ehart of Kansas?
Nigel: Jeff and Phil were in
Trinidad a few years ago doing some recording at a studio
for Kansas. They met the band and have been involved as
manager and producer ever since. Jeff Glixman is also the
part owner of our label Star City Recording Company.
Jeb: Were you Kansas fans? If so, what is your fav Kansas
song?
Nigel: Yes, we all are
kansas fans. We have gotten to open for them a few times and
they are a blow mind live band, unbelievably progressive and
melodic. They influenced a bunch of bands like Dream
Theater, Tool, King’s X and many more. My favorite song is
"Carry On Wayward Son."
Jeb: Glixman is famous for the
sound he got on Kansas' albums. He took many instruments,
all doing something different and was able to have clarity
between the parts yet still have it sound as one. What do
you find working with Jeff brings to the table?
Nigel: Working with Jeff is
like working with a real scientist. He comes from that age
of recording where there was no ProTools and all. He is a
veteran and that comes with a wealth of experience and
prowess. He has worked with many of the greatest rock
guitarists including Malmsteen, Tony Iommi, Rich Williams
and a few more, so obviously, as a guitar player being
produced by him, I was a bit
intimidated, but he was great and brought the best out in
me. It is an honor to know him.
Jeb: What do you
think Phil saw in the band? What made him want to manager
you?
Nigel: He realized that he was looking at the best kept
secret in Rock today, trapped on a small island. I think he
saw a lot of himself and Kansas in us as well. They were a
lot like us. They were an excellent band that the world
needed to know, except that they were from the middle of
Kansas. We are the same, we are very lucky to have him as
our manager.
Jeb: Lets dive into
the songs. I have to start with "Is There Anyone There?"
Just you being into Metal in Trinidad is cool, but that song
is on Lovedrive, which was not the Scorpions most
well known album. When did you first hear this song?
Nigel: I first heard it on Rock Concert, the Thursday
night radio show I was telling you about. I was nine years
old.
Jeb: I love it. It really does
mix the Reggae and Rock thang well, almost like it was
waiting for 30 years for you to remake it.
Nigel: Yes, I believe it was
made for us. The original version was awesome and we did not
want to compromise its integrity, but there is still an
Orange Sky flavor on it. The guys in the Scorpions heard
it and loved it; that felt really good. We opened for them
in September of last year in front of about 15,000 people
and the crowd, the Scorpions and the crew were really
digging it.
Jeb: Tell me about "Run."
Nigel: Run is a socio/political glimpse of our Third World
reality, a cry for help, a promise to escape with a sawed
off blues, Guns ‘n’ Roses-esque musical backdrop. Play it
loud...
Jeb: What was the inspiration
behind "Dark Room?" This is musically and lyrically heavy
man . . . I would guess the song is close to your heart?
Nigel: "Dark Room" is the same
socio/political ranting like "Run." It is about trying to
trust the powers that be and constantly being lied to,
disappointed and disrespected. "I see symbolic faces, that
sing demonic praises, that bring NEON to places where light
will never shine." The song is about flushing away all the
lies, all the choices thrust upon you, and locking it away
in a dark room in your mind.
Jeb: One of the best is the
wild "Psycho World." How do you and your brother work
together? Take this song, for instance, and relate how you
all work together to take it from an idea to a finished
song.
Nigel: Nick and me work
together very well, we’ve been jamming together for so long
that there is a telepathic thing going on when it comes to
music. "Psycho World" was written in about seven minutes. I
wrote it on a piece of napkin in a traffic jam in Trinidad.
When I played the riff and sang the idea for Obasi, Richard
and Nico we jammed it. They loved it and it became a song.
Jeb: What are Orange Sky's musical goals? Where do you
see yourself in two years?
Nigel: Our goals are to try to enjoy every minute/hour/day
that we get to be here doing this, that is first and
foremost. Musically, we hope that Dat Iz Voodoo is in
such demand that we are still touring two years from now
supporting the album all over the world. We've never been
ashamed of our ambition to be a household name worldwide.
Jeb: Is there a battle plan to
get people over here to discover your music on a larger
scale? Radio isn't going to do it so that leaves playing
live.
Nigel: There is no specific
plan, we just have to plant as many seeds as possible, as
far across the world via any route, radio, touring and
whatever it takes. Right now, we are touring independently
and are still in shock and excitement at the news that
King’s X chose us to be the opening act for them on their
2009 US tour, starting on May 28th; that is a
good start. We also have our team working feverishly to get
us maximum exposure in the months to come. It is going to
take patience and focus and we have lots of both.
Jeb: Where did you
get the name Orange Sky?
Nigel: In Trinidad, every day at dawn and at dusk, the sky,
for a few minutes, turns fully orange, some days more than
others. To me, it represents infinity, the beginning of the
end or the end of the
beginning. Sounds trippy enough... ok, we'll go with that
[laughing].
Jeb: Last one: Which Kansas song would you be most likely to
do as a remake, "Carry On Wayward Son," "The Wall" or "Song
for America?"
Nigel: Definitely "Carry On
Wayward Son" with a big Reggae riff in the verse and a Metal
break down from hell, but Phil would kill me!
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