Catching up with Orange & Lemons

CEBU, Philippines —  The indie pop/alternative rock band, which has been in the industry for more than a decade,  remains highly-sought, undeterred by the onset of new music trends.

“Maybe we sound a little unique from the lot. The good thing about music is that even though some of the songs are very old, there’s room for discovery. That’s why, luckily, we still feel relevant,” said lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and songwriter Clem Castro.

Made up of Castro, JM del Mundo (bass guitar, backing vocals), Ace del Mundo (drums, backing vocals), and Jared Nerona (keyboards), the band’s latest album is 2022’s “La Bulaquena”, a tribute to their humble beginnings in the province of Bulacan.

Their schedule is expected to be hectic for the rest of 2023 as they also plan to record an EP of covers. A US tour for 2024 is likewise being planned.

Orange & Lemons top billed The Pop Shoppe Cebu , a night of jiving, swaying, and headbanging to performances of six other indie bands held July 15 at From Here of Crossroads in Banilad, Cebu City.

“Parang outing lang ‘to, eh. It’s not really for the money. It’s more of a gathering of musicians,” Castro told The FREEMAN. “Orange & Lemons is doing its part to connect and help each other out, especially the new ones out there.”

Presented by Lilystars Records, John Bottles, Different Class, Counterflow Productions,  PAWN, and  Lila Events PH, the event featured indie acts including Cebu’s THE STAWNES, Mandaue Nights, and Kubra Commander, as well as The Geeks from Manila, Project Orange from Bacolod, and Svvell  from Cagayan de Oro.

Basing on their band’s experience, Castro said that it would be a “bold move” for up and coming bands to pursue music as a career.

“It took us seven years to get a break. Are you willing to wait that long? ” he asked. “It takes a lot of patience and creative juices, as well as a lot of luck. If they keep on doing it, and they know why they’re doing it, it doesn’t matter if it’s for money, fame, or for fun.”

“For us, we all decided to do it as a career. And there’s no stopping our vision to go. That’s why even if we disappeared for 10 years, we wanted to preserve the legacy of the band. And that’s why we’re able to release an album last year and we committed ourselves to create more albums for the years to come,” Castro added.

“We’re not worried if it will be different from the popular releases, because we do not want to limit ourselves. We’re an old band…we’re just having fun.” — (FREEMAN)