Liverpool musician Dr Orange is set to release his debut album Late Night with Dr Orange on 25 October, following the success of his lead single I Found You. Originally planned as an EP, the project evolved into a full album, blending introspective lyrics with a late-night talk show vibe.
In this interview, Dr Orange shares insights into the creative process behind the album, his collaborations with notable artists like Jon Withnall and The Sukis, and what fans can expect from his headline show at the iconic Cavern Club on 23 October.
Liverpool Noise: Your debut album, Late Night with Dr Orange, is set to drop on October 25th. Can you tell us what inspired the album’s concept and how it evolved throughout the creative process?
Dr Orange: It was originally meant to be an EP which felt like the natural progression after putting out a couple of singles, the problem was there were so many songs which seemed to fit so nicely together that the EP soon became a long EP. It was about 7 tracks long before I thought ‘This might as well be a mini album’. Then quite late in the process, I wrote I Found You and once I recorded that it became clear that it had to join the other songs and the album was born. I wanted the record to have a kind of late-night talk show host vibe to it hence the title, but I’d stop short of calling it a concept album, there’s many interlinked and running themes between the tracks though and the record for sure has a beginning a middle and an end.
Liverpool Noise: You’ve been described as “smiling on the outside, crying on the inside.” How does that sentiment manifest in your music, and can fans expect to feel that contrast throughout the album?
Dr Orange: Yeah, I’d probably agree with that. I think my music can be summed up best with the title of one of the songs on the record Sometimes You’ve Just Got to Lose – If I were to pick a sentence which sums the album up that would be it. It’s not a ‘feeling sorry for yourself’ kind of album, a lot of it’s just a commentary on situations or coming to terms with feelings – I don’t think you finish listening to any of the songs thinking that the issue isn’t already resolved.
Liverpool Noise: You’ve worked with some impressive collaborators on this project, including Jon Withnall and members of The Sukis. How did those collaborations come about, and what impact did they have on the sound and direction of the album?
Dr Orange: I met Jon when he was managing one of my exes and we clicked pretty much straight away. My last band had just broken up and whenever we’d go to Jon’s for dinner I would try and pry little pieces of music industry advice out of him over a few drinks, then one time when we were especially drunk, he said to send him a few demos over and from there we started working together. I met The Sukis through Ed, my drummer, who also plays for them and they’re now good friends of mine. I’ve been up and down the country with them over the past year or so, introducing them before they played and hanging out, they’re cool guys. The collaboration happened after I went over to one of their flats and we started jamming out a song I’d just started writing, ‘Foolish In Love’, I remember being very hungover but we still managed to finish the song off with Tige throwing in some great riffs and the idea for the chords in the middle 8th and Joe playing some lovely piano on top which a few months later we added in the studio with Jon.
Liverpool Noise: Your lead single I Found You was released on 4 October —what’s the story behind that track? What message or vibe were you hoping to convey with it?
Dr Orange: I wrote that song around a year ago – I was going through old demos and found the first version of it which is a long stroll from the song I ended up writing. I’m thinking of putting a few videos on together of the progression of the writing of that song because it’s all documented over about 10 or so voice memos on my phone. The song is about the start of a connection between two people when you don’t really know what it is and you’re getting in equal measure good and bad feelings about the whole thing. You love what you have but also find you’ve started relying on them to feel good, a sort of slip of the head and the heart. Sometimes you can blink and find yourself in a situation and you’re just caught trying to figure it all out you know.
Liverpool Noise: Dave McCabe of The Zutons has called your music “lonely and frustrated man pop.” How do you feel about that label, and do you think it accurately reflects your style or state of mind?
Dr Orange: I think there is a sense of loneliness to some of the songs but kind of empowered loneliness. Dave’s one of the best songwriters Liverpool’s produced and part of one the best bands to come out of the city so it meant a lot to hear his kind words about the record. Â
Liverpool Noise: You’ve got a headline show at the Cavern Club on October 23rd, a venue with such deep musical history. What does it mean to you to play there, and how are you feeling about the night?
Dr Orange: I’m not just saying this because it’s my gig, but this is going to be an incredible night. The lineup is up there with the best you’ll find all on one bill with Blue Jean, Roscoe Street and Joe Loram joining us on the night. The last time I played the Cavern was around 6 years ago so to be able to return after all that time with a bigger band and playing these songs is something I’m really looking forward to. It’s the first time we’ll be performing as a 6-piece with Blue Jean & Brandon Tew joining Myself, Ed Haslam, Jake Westwood and Ryan Levery. It’s sounded out of this world in practice, and we’ve got a few special guests joining us throughout the night and a few surprises so all in all its set up to be a top evening!
Liverpool Noise: You played a special set for Paul McCartney’s 80th birthday. How did that opportunity come about, and how did it feel to be part of such a significant celebration?
Dr Orange: Ah, that was crazy, I think that was just after COVID, so it all had to be done remotely but a group of us got asked to get together and do a short show for his 80th which got recorded and sent to him. I remember being in Primark when the news got through that he’d watched the video and said he ‘loved it’ and that it was ‘fab’. I was blown away by the fact that in some small capacity, I have a connection with the most successful songwriter of all time. Around that time, I also played John Lennon in this Sky show ‘Funny Girl’ as an extra so that was a very Beatles-infused year for me.
Liverpool Noise: After the release of Late Night with Dr Orange, what’s next for you? Any plans for a tour or new projects on the horizon?
Dr Orange: Yeah, I don’t stop me, always working away at something, especially since quitting drinking over the summer. I’ve already recorded the basics for the second album, so I’ll be jumping back into the studio with Jon to finish that off soon. We’re going on a mini tour after the Cavern show supporting Little Juke at The Washington in Sheffield on 30th October are just waiting to confirm the show in Camden at Dingwall’s on 31st October. Then early next year we’ll go back on the road.
Stream I Found You now.
Get tickets to see Dr Orange at the Cavern on 23 October.
Follow Dr Orange on Instagram @drorange_ for updates.
