Orange Kyte makes music for brain-melting fun times

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      When the neopsychedelic road warriors of Desert Daze Caravan II roll into Vancouver, Stevie Moonboots will feel right at home—and not only because he lives here. Last year, the affable Irishman admits, he and his band the Orange Kyte made their Desert Daze debut at the touring festival’s Joshua Tree home base, and it was a memorable occasion in more ways than one.

      “We were, like, the first band on for the whole weekend,” he tells the Straight on his cellphone while strolling through Fairview Slopes. “We played on one of the cool outdoor stages on the way in, so we were like the first port of call.”

      Being first on the bill also let the singer-guitarist check out other acts—including Spiritualized, Iggy Pop, and the Make-Up—without the pressure of pre-performance anxiety. “It was just a dream come true,” Moonboots recalls. But it’s the complimentary beverages that really stick in his mind.

      “The backstage hospitality was absolutely incredible,” he explains, laughing. “At the side stage they had what I thought was a kind of pop, but it was actually a THC drink. Fuck, I just drank it down in one go, and then I dealt with the consequences! I had no idea—it was the one single healthy thing I tried to do all weekend, and even that was tainted. But at least I tried!”

      That this is almost the first thing that comes up in our conversation gives credence to Moonboots’ claim that he’s “just a goofy son of a bitch”, and that there’s no point in scanning his lyrics for mystic significance. “I just like things to sound visceral,” he says. “I like it to sound like it comes from the belly. If I sit down and actually pay real attention to the lyrics and put in loads of effort, I feel like every word becomes contrived and calculated, and it just stops sounding like me, as a person. I mean, the scatterbrained, abstract nature of the lyrics is exactly what I am, right? I’m a scatterbrained, abstract kind of dude, and I’m not going to sit down and present lyrics that make me out to be Leonard Cohen or Nick Cave.”

      Orange Kyte, "Melty Brains"

      However self-effacing Moonboots might be, the Orange Kyte is serious about its music. The band makes a big, warm, and enveloping noise, best heard on its highly entertaining new release, The Orange Kyte Says Yes!. And while its sound references elements of the past—keyboardist Mat Durie often channels Pink Floyd’s Saucerful of Secrets organ tones, while the decision to add saxophonist Matty Reed to the lineup was directly inspired by Moonboots’ fondness for the Stooges’ secret weapon, Steve Mackay—it’s never annoyingly retro.

      There is, however, no doubt that the quintet’s swirling, electronically enhanced tones would go well with a bottle of psychedelic soda.

      “Phase makes things sound gooey and melty and kind of like the way your brain feels when you’ve maybe taken something and you’re having a good time,” Moonboots says. “Those kind of sounds echo those feelings of being chemically altered and not really thinking too much about your real life and the stresses and strains of whatever you do outside of having a good time.”

      And having a good time, he continues, is one thing that Desert Daze’s various acts—which include Ariel Pink, DIIV, Dead Ghosts, and Frankiie—all have in common. “The whole aim of it is to go see some bands and enjoy yourself,” Moonboots concludes. “When you’re going on tour, you’re basically bringing the party, or you’re bringing the good times to the audience—and that’s the way I want it to be.”

      Orange Kyte plays the Commodore Ballroom as part of Desert Daze Caravan II on Saturday (May 12).

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