Fifth grade is usually spent picking on the opposite sex, making exclusive clubs at recess and playing kickball — not starting rock bands.
Three of the five members of Wild Sweet Orange have been making tunes together since elementary school in Birmingham, Ala. Singer and guitarist Preston Lovinggood met drummer Chip Kilpatrick at church choir practice and the two have been making musical bliss ever since. The instruments may have been almost as tall as they were, but they managed to collectively learn to play the bass, guitar and drums.
The band went through the unavoidable punk phase in high school under the name Old American Dream, and traded in college for a year on the road. Besides changing their name to Wild Sweet Orange, they also switched their sound to folk pop with energy and emotion. Their 2007 release, The Whale EP is reminiscent of a folky version of The Format with the blissful cheer of Fionn Regan and the soft comfort of Nick Drake, making them a fitting opener for The Whigs’ current tour.
“We look up to them a lot because of their attitudes and morals about rock n’ roll. They love it and that’s why they do it,” Lovinggood said of his fellow tour mates. “They have a lot of integrity about music and touring, and I think they’re a badass band. I think a lot of people come to rock shows and forget to have fun, and they’re a good band to break that.”
As much as Wild Sweet Orange enjoys life in a suitcase, touring isn’t just a party on wheels. Drummer Chip Kilpatrick’s wife recently brought a tiny girl into the world, and the band agrees family and health come first.
“You can only tour as much as is humanly possible,” Lovinggood explained. “I think a lot of bands tour way too much. We sat down and decided how much we can physically and emotionally handle touring during the year.”
Luckily, the boys decided Urbana will be on the list of stops this year. With their sugary-sweet tunes and dashing good looks, Wild Sweet Orange will no doubt be happy to be everyone’s valentine.
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