Emotional Oranges are stepping out of the shadows

I could tell you about how Emotional Oranges first caught the industry’s attention — about how their 2018 debut single “Motion” became the theme song for RuPaul’s Drag Race, or how they managed to drop two albums in the same year. I could mention their sold-out shows across multiple continents. But that wouldn’t capture the essence of what makes this duo so intriguing.

The story goes that Azad, an audio engineer who’d worked with Drake, and Vali, a vocal coach whose resume included Adele, crossed paths at a bat mitzvah. Yep, a bat mitzah. It’s the kind of origin story that sounds almost too perfectly random to be true. “We originally wanted the music to lead us,” Vali tells me. “We wanted to create a universe that was unique to only us.” 

Their evolution from enigmatic internet favorites to selling out 2000-capacity venues hasn’t dampened their creative spirit. And their upcoming album, Orenjii? That seems poised to push them even further, blending worlds that “typically don’t belong together.” Given their track record, you’d be foolish to doubt them, too. 

Amber Rawlings: How are you? How’s life treating you at the moment?

Vali: I’m amazing. Just finished an incredible studio session for our next Emotional Oranges album. Life has been moving very quickly since the new year hit — we just released our new single “CANDY GUM” and we’re getting ready to go to NYC this week for press and promo.

AR: Your new album Orenjii feels like it’s been years in the making. Tell me a little more about the project. And why now?

Azad: The time I’ve spent in Korea and Japan over the past few years has had a massive influence on my overall taste. That coupled with how they embraced our music and art — sometimes faster than other cultures — is something I always took note of. Orenjii is a record rooted in love of self and love for others. For ages now I’ve had such a bad relationship with this idea of the “debut album.” But when it came down to it, I just wanted to make a collection of music that would give the 13-year-old version of me hope.

AR: “CANDY GUM” with Jessie Reyez and Becky G. How did that track come about?

Azad: I’ve been a Jessie fan since 2016. Her pen game and artistry are undeniable, plus she’s a genuinely solid human which makes it all that much sweeter. Getting to work with her on my own music is not something I take lightly. Watching her write most of this record on some Hov shit — no pen, no phone, no nothing — inspired me to keep sharpening my sword.

We met Becky in 2021 and spent a lot of time creating the visual world around “Down to Miami.” She might be the most well-spoken, thoughtful, hard-working artist I’ve ever met. The quintessential professional that all of us can learn something from. And being from the same city, it’s an honor to have her on this independently owned body of work — that’s a stamp you can never take away from me.

AR: You’ve been selling out 2000+ capacity shows across the UK, US, Asia, and Australia. How has that global response shaped your approach to this new album?

Azad: Touring and getting to build that brick by brick connection with each fan in each city hits different. There are some people still pulling up to our shows who have been there since 2019 and seen the growth and progression. This album is largely inspired by them and those experiences — a real testament to consistently being true to yourself and whatever sets you apart. I’ve always had faith that staying the course would eventually yield the results I’m looking for. Which is simply finding a community that loves what I love.

AR: You’ve said there’s a few “unexpected guests” on this record. What makes for an exciting collab in your eyes?

Azad: Juxtaposition is the word that comes to mind when I think of exciting. Blending worlds that typically don’t belong together or aren’t viewed as complementary — and still having that shit be fire.

AR: From your early days meeting at a bat mitzvah to now — how has the way you worked together changed?

Vali: We have morphed into one giant orange at this point. We finish each other’s sentences in the studio and can write full songs in minutes now.

AR: There’s something fascinating about your ability to blend different sonic worlds. How do you approach making it sound cohesive?

Azad: That’s a dope compliment because sometimes I spend 50 hours too many on a track and end up having to undo everything to get back to the soul of the song. The approach to production is different every time around. But I’d say I hate weak ass, stock sounding drums — so that might be the glue in all of our music.

AR: You’ve gone from being this mysterious duo to now being more open. What prompted that shift?

Vali: We originally wanted the music to lead us. Wanted to create a universe that was unique to only us. Now that we’ve built this incredible place we love to connect deeper with our fans — bringing them in closer to who we are as artists.

AR: The first track drops on Valentine’s Day. Intentional timing?

Vali: Absolutely. Valentine’s Day is the annual day of love and we’ve centered our musical themes around the root of love. It was very intentional. I’m actually named after Saint Valentine.

AR: Your musical influences range from The Weeknd to Lauryn Hill. How do you think they all show up in your sound?

AR: You’ve toured extensively. How do those live experiences make their way back into your studio work?

Vali: We’re able to tap into a different creative approach knowing how we enjoy performing these songs live. We’ll listen back to our songs after we’ve written them and imagine how we’ll perform them.

AR: What does success look like for Emotional Oranges right now?

Vali: Success is traveling the world together and performing the songs that mean so much to us. Having the chance to reach audiences all across the globe has given me so much appreciation and gratitude for Emotional Oranges. The sky’s the limit — we’re only just getting started.

AR: What’s left? What are you still itching to explore creatively?

Azad: Too many things to create. I’m just getting started. Right now my passion projects are XHOTCOFFEE – which is a travel show and future coffee line – GHOST PEPPER STEPPER which is my solo project, and our forward-thinking ambient label Peace of Mind Studio.

Azad: Our musical influences have changed quite a bit over the past few years — we aren’t pulling from or inspired by the same things anymore. And honestly, I’m proud of that because I really don’t want to look back and feel like I made the same project twice over.