Mild Orange: From Creekside Headphones to a Strange Brew Sell-Out

Mild Orange were the first band I ever sold out Strange Brew with—and what a journey it was to get there. I first discovered them during COVID, listening through my headphones on walks through the creeks of Austin, Texas. It was the perfect setting: nature, water, solitude—and then this music. Their sound struck a real chord. Relaxing yet explosive. Gorgeous guitar tones. Josh’s honest, vulnerable lyrics. Unbelievable rhythms that wove everything together. It was magic.

They were a dream booking—one of the main reasons I got into promoting in the first place. Like so many others, I started as a fan. I wanted to bring the bands I loved to Bristol. And for me, Mild Orange were right at the top of that list.

To book them was a milestone I won’t forget—except maybe parts of the afterparty at The Queen Shilling. If you scroll through their Facebook posts from 31 January, you’ll find some photos of us enjoying the “afters.” Be warned: not glamorous, but absolutely representative of any night out I’ve ever had with a pack of Kiwis.

Anyway, enough about my life... what about their music?

Their debut album Foreplay is exactly that—a taste of what was to come. It marked the beginning of their journey into the kind of atmospheric rock that sits comfortably alongside Dope Lemon or The War on Drugs. Their music is feel-good, heartfelt, and full of moments that make the hairs on your neck stand up.

Their self-titled second album Mild Orange contains some golden tracks, but my focus has always been on Freak in Me, whose atmosphere is captured perfectly in the homemade, summer-love-in-the-woods-style music video. The top comment under the video reads: “I love my music taste.” A humble brag for sure—but honestly, pretty accurate.

Mild Orange - Live At Strange Brew - 31 Jan 25

Then let’s jump forward to this release cycle. Their new album The // Glow drops on 8 August—and yes, I’m a total fangirl of what’s been released so far, and yes, I’m very excited. Mood has been my favourite single to date, followed closely by Rubicon, which—more than any other—captures that initial feeling I had listening to the band back in the creeks: wanderlust, deep thinking, and the yearning for a new journey.

Mild Orange headline the opening night of Down Stokes this year at The Attic Bar. It’s going to be one of those nights—an electric atmosphere that pulls you right into the present while hinting at what’s to come. And what’s coming? Down Stokes, Year 3. Four nights. Let’s go.

Mild Orange - Live At Strange Brew - 31 Jan 25