4th & Orange are about to become the next global reggae pop sensation- and we are so happy to be here for the beginning of their journey.

Made up of lead vocalist Garrett Douglas, keyboardist Chris “DJ Irey” Garcia, guitarist Ricardo Santiago, bassist Alex Bursztyn and drummer Sam Ward, 4th & Orange made their debut in 2019 with the release of their single “Girl Next Door.”

Over the next year the band continued to release three more singles “No More Favors,” “Junky,” and a cover of Yazoo’s “Only You”- further solidifying and introducing fans to their unique reggae meets hip hop meets pop punk sound.

Oft likened to fellow California natives Sublime, 4th & Orange have continued their rise to the top with their three 2020 releases, including “In The LBC,” “Not The End,” and most recently, “Story of My Life.”

Now, with over 300,000 monthly Spotify listeners, millions of YouTube views and a new album in the works- 4th & Orange are ready to slide their way into your summer playlist and hopefully, into your list of favorite new artists.

Fresh off the heels of the release of “Story of My Life (acoustic),” which hit streaming platforms yesterday, we had the opportunity to chat with Douglas about the single, in addition to the band’s background and plans for 2021.

You can read the full interview below, and be sure to check out 4th & Orange wherever you stream music.

Second Society Report: First off, how is everyone doing so far this summer? I know the world has been in disarray with the pandemic and quarantine basically shutting down the live music industry- so I just want to check in and say I hope that you are all staying safe & healthy!

Garrett Douglas: We are doing great! Moving with technology and taking the time locked up for time to create! Our album is on the way.

SSR: Speaking of quarantine, back in April you released your single “Not the End,” which is a positive reminder to hold onto hope. Was this track written while you were in quarantine, or was it previously written/recorded and just happened to come out at the perfect time?

GD: It’s weird, I actually wrote this song when all the stories about aliens, blue waves at the beach, and World War 3 was trending on Twitter. Everyone was talking about the end and I felt something big was coming and then BOOM, coronavirus locked us all up and it fit appropriately.

SSR: I know the video accompanying “Not the End” features live footage from around the world of the effects of the pandemic, especially on front line workers. Why did you choose to incorporate that imagery/those clips? What did you hope for listeners to take away from the video/track?

GD: I just hoped they saw how serious this thing can be and how easy it is to help the world get through it. Quarantine and wear your masks – that’s the goal to getting us all out of this nightmare.

SSR: Now for the newest music! This past week you put out an acoustic video cover of your song “Story of My Life.” What inspired this track?

GD: Lucas Secon was the producer of the original “Story Of My Life” record, so it felt great when we, as a band, were able to strip it down organically and recreate it into something of our own. This was something special for us as it’s our first acoustic video and song. Long Beach is home, so we shot the live performance in our buddy’s backyard to give it that classic California, summertime feel.

SSR: I know you haven’t had the opportunity to play this track at new shows, but when performing the track during the recording process or for your video- which version do you prefer? Why?

GD: I prefer the live version every time. It was produced by the talented Lucas Secon with programmed drums which were so sick but nothing compares to the way my band plays things live. They are monsters. In the best way possible.

SSR: As a band you have a very unique sound- fusing elements of pop punk, reggae and hip-hop into cohesive tracks that are completely genre defying. But for someone who has never listened to 4th & Orange before, how would you describe your sound?

GD: A melting pot. That’s the best way to describe it. We are a world of mixed cultures in 2020 and we represent that proudly. No borders, no hate, just us people living day by day.

SSR: I’ve heard that one of your goals when writing is to tell stories through your music. Do you prefer to base these stories in reality, mirroring your own lives or do you prefer to take a fictional approach?

GD: I love telling my story because it gives people a reason to believe the words I’m saying are heartfelt and real. Then again, it is SUPER fun to go the fictional route. So I guess we’ll stay on the fence about that one.

SSR: When first forming, what other artists (if any) shaped the way that you write and record?

GD: Ryan Leslie, Kayne West, Linkin Park, and Sublime are huge artists to us and we loved the way they translated music. We for sure take pointers from their sound and use it as a guideline when recording ours.

SSR: I know that you are just releasing your new acoustic track this Friday- but can you give us any hints at when fans can expect more new music? An EP or album, perhaps?

GD: Well, it’s just been said by our manager Chuck Chavez that it’s time for the album. So we are currently in the studio 3 times a week in album mode. So all I can say is our album is on the way sooner rather than later! WAY sooner.

SSR: Lastly, pretending that by 2021 the music world returns to “normal,” what do you hope to accomplish next year?

GD: Performances. We now have the music recorded. We hope after the pandemic is over everyone will be itching to see live music again, and we’ll be there with two albums worth of music to give to them live so they can see us in person and feel our energy! We need to expand our fanbase and doing it through concerts is one of the best ways to do that.

You can stream “Story of My Life” along with the new acoustic version, available now on all streaming services.