Mock Orange (band)

Mock Orange is an American indie rock band from Evansville, Indiana, United States. They debuted in 1998 during a growing emo and punk musical climate. Though they never reached the commercial success of some of their contemporaries, they are widely respected as a prolific group with a unique sound.^[1]

Mock Orange
Origin	Evansville, Indiana, U.S.
Genres	Indie rock, emo, punk rock
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Wednesday Records, Topshelf Records
Members	Ryan Grisham Heath Metzger Joe Asher Zach Grace

Overview

Mock Orange first introduced their sound in 1998 with “Nines & Sixes.” The record immediately established Mock Orange on the national scene and received critical acclaim in the press along with a spot on the CMJ Top 60 college radio charts. In 2000, the band followed up with “The Record Play.” Produced by Mark Trombino (Pinback, Jimmy Eat World), the record continued to earn Mock Orange a legion of fans.^[2]

Despite this early success, challenges lay ahead for the band. In 2002, just after the release of the "First EP", the band's label, Dead Droid Records, was sued by George Lucas for copyright infringement.^[3] The suit resulted in the collapse of the label, and left Mock Orange searching for a new home. The EP, however, was a progression, yielding a sound that infused more diverse rhythms, subtle lyrics and angular guitars. The result was natural for a band who cut its teeth on The Flaming Lips’ “Soft Bulletin” and Pavement's “Slanted and Enchanted.”

 

Mock Orange performs Aug. 10, 2016, at The Bishop Bar in Bloomington, Indiana.

Poised to explore this new direction, Mock Orange returned to the studio, this time with producer J. Robbins (Dismemberment Plan, The Promise Ring), and delivered Mind is Not Brain. The record wowed critics, causing Alternative Press to call it the "closest to a perfect album we've heard in a long time." The band also earned loyal new fans as it took to the road with relentless touring over three continents, performing alongside bands like Rogue Wave, Ted Leo, and Minus the Bear. Live appearances on MTV2 and songs on shows like CSI Miami, MTV's Real World and ESPN would follow.^[4]

On September 9, 2008, Wednesday Records released Mock Orange's Captain Love. The record was recorded over the better part of a year in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Jeremy Ferguson (Be Your Own Pet, Josh Rouse). Punctuated by the engaging artwork of Kathleen Lolley (My Morning Jacket's Z), the record picks up where Mind Is Not Brain left off and proves to be Mock Orange's most sophisticated, ambitious and affecting release to date.^{[citation needed]}

Mock Orange have also developed a strong following in Japan, touring the country five times with their Japanese labelmates The Band Apart and releasing a split EP titled Daniels EP. 2006 also saw the band making their European debut, touring in Germany, Spain, France and Switzerland. The UK leg of the tour was cancelled after the band's van was broken into in Spain.

2011 saw the release of their latest full-length album, Disguised As Ghosts, on Wednesday Records. Slightly less funky than Captain Love, it still follows along the acoustic-strewn pop path with thoughtful arrangements and excellent production. The album was recorded by bassist Zach Grace with Jeremy Ferguson returning to help produce. The album has been released on both CD and Vinyl.

In 2016, the band signed with Topshelf Records (Braid, The Jazz June) to release their follow-up to "Disguised As Ghosts". According to Mock Orange's Twitter account, Alan Douches was recruited to master the album in late March.^[5] Said to be a melding of their two conflicting past sounds, Put The Kid On The Sleepy Horse has a May 20, 2016 release date.^[6]

Band members

Current members

• Ryan Grisham - guitar, vocals (1993–present)
• Heath Metzger - drums (1993–present)
• Zach Grace - bass, backing vocals (2002–present)
• Matt McGuyer - guitar, backing vocals (2021–present)

Former members

• Joe Asher - guitar, backing vocals (1993–2021)
• Brandon Chappell – bass (1993–2002)

Discography

Albums

• Open Sunday (1995, Minus 7)
• Mock Orange (1997, Minus 7)
• Nines & Sixes (1998, Lobster Records)
• The Record Play (2000, Lobster Records)
• Mind is Not Brain (2004, Silverthree)
• Captain Love (2008, Wednesday Records)
• Disguised as Ghosts (2011, Wednesday Records)
• Put the Kid On the Sleepy Horse (2016, Topshelf Records)

Live

• Live in Brooklyn (2009, Wednesday Records)

EPs

• The First EP (2002, Dead Droid Records)
• Daniels EP (2006, Asian Gothic)
• Daniels EP 2 (2016, Asian Gothic)
• The Bridge EP (2020, Bedfire Records)

Singles

• Mock Orange/The Borgo Pass (1999, Northern Lights)

Compilations

• Lobster Records: Greetings (2001, Lobster Records)
• Firework Anatomy (2001, Engineer Records)
• Not One Light Red: A Desert Extended (2002, Sunset Alliance)
• Rock Music: A Tribute to Weezer (2002, Dead Droid Records)
• Gems (2006, Lobster Records)
• Play (2007, Desoto Records)

Soundtracks

• Tony Hawk's Gigantic SkatePark Tour 2002 - "We Work", "Growing Crooked" 2002
• Scott Baio Is 45...and Single -"Mind is not Brain", "Old Man", "Oh My God", and "Birds"
• Bella - Metanoia Films - "East Side Song" appears in the trailer of the movie 2006
• CSI: Miami - "All You Have", "Drinking Song" and "We Work"
• LEVI's BMX Clip of the Week -"Lila" and "Smile On
• Maloof Money Cup, NBC -"Song in D" and "Supergang"
• 16 and Pregnant MTV - "I Keep Saying So Long" 2009
• Raising The Bar TNT - "Captain Love" 2009
• Greek, ABC Family -"Smile On"
• MTV's Made - "Drinking Song"
• Vh1's Free Radio - "Smile On"
• Viva La Bam - Five Songs
• MTV's College Life - Seven Songs
• MTV's Maui Fever - Six Songs
• MTV's There and Back - Three Songs
• MTV's Real World
• Fox Sports
• ESPN2
• Past Life Warner Bros.
• The Vicious Kind Movie trailer-"Song in D" 72nd Street Productions

Contests

• The Mt. Dew Break Out Contest MTV2 - performed live, placed second
• International Songwriting Competition - placed first in Rock category

References

1. . Archived from the original on 2016-04-23. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
2. "Dead Droid confirms Mock Orange signing". Punknews.org. 23 July 2002.
3. . Archived from the original on 2014-12-20. Retrieved 2014-12-04.
4. "Mock Orange | Mind Is Not Brain | interview | alternative". Lollipop.com. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
5. "mockorange on Twitter: "...mastering session booked with Alan Douches for the third week of March...stoked!!"". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
6. "Mock Orange shows the ninth time is the charm on new track". Avclub.com. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 2020-03-16.

External links

• Mock Orange Official Website
• Facebook page
• Mock Orange at AllMusic