Mild Orange

Emerging from New Zealand's South Island, the jangle pop outfit Mild Orange experienced widespread online attention in 2018 following the independent release of their debut effort Foreplay, which amassed millions of streams. This organic rise fostered an international audience ahead of their 2020 self-titled album and Looking For Space in 2022.

Childhood companions Josh Mehrtens, handling vocals and guitar, along with guitarist Josh Reid, established the group in Dunedin during 2016. Bassist Tom Kelk and drummer Jack Ferguson completed the lineup shortly thereafter. The moniker Mild Orange was selected due to the hue's capacity to evoke "a heightened sense of optimism." Their relaxed, coastal dream pop resonated widely, with initial exposure often stemming from a national tour sponsored by Corona Extra New Zealand and a performance at the Rhythm and Vines festival on New Year's Eve.

Adopting a do-it-yourself bedroom pop method, Mehrtens took on production, engineering, and mixing duties for Foreplay. Issued on their own in 2018, the record generated notable streaming successes such as "Some Feeling" and "Stranger." Following promotion of that project, the band prepared their self-named sophomore release, which came out in May 2020. Having handled recording themselves for the prior two efforts, Mild Orange pursued their inaugural professional studio sessions across six locations throughout New Zealand, culminating in the early 2022 arrival of Looking For Space.