Where: Loose Change
When: Thursday, Sept. 6 @ 10 PM until close
What: The Orange Constant show, part of their 2018 summer tour
Cost: Free
Whether it be a Solid Orange Friday or literally any other day of the year, there is one color that is in abundance across Clemson University’s campus. It may be easy to find a splash of orange in classrooms or sports shops, but there is only one immediate opportunity to rock with the Georgia-based band The Orange Constant.
On Thursday, Sept. 6, Loose Change will be hosting a free concert from 10 p.m. until closing that acts as part of the band’s 2018 summer tour. An interview with the vocalist, guitarist and founding member, Andrew Brantley, gave a look into expectations for the concert and the group itself.
The band was initially formed by Brantley and his bandmate, Nickalous Benson, after the two met in a music fundamental class at Georgia Southern University in 2011. “Started jamming with each other and trying to find commonalities,” Brantley said. The two started with learning and writing covers, but that eventually evolved into a full-blown band. Through the years, they’ve put together their current lineup of Tyler Walker on bass and vocals, Chris Freiberg on keyboard and Sam Groveman on drums.
The Orange Constant has a unique sound; “Rock, jam and funk,” Brantley said when asked to describe their general sound. Though not inspired by any group or artist in particular, they write their music based off of complicated a mix of personal experiences, observations and fiction. And because they aren’t heathens, they all appreciate and feel as if they can latch onto The Beatles. By creating what their website describes as “a pop-like combination of psychedelia and progressive composition,” The Orange Constant has carved out a decent sized niche for themselves in the music world, especially on college campuses in the south.
Bars and clubs in college towns are the usual scenes The Orange Constant visits, and this is not the band’s first visit to Clemson. In fact, they’ve developed quite the following and have performed five times at Loose Change and once at Study Hall in the past. Despite only knowing that Clemson was a big college and having no pre-existing notions before their first show here, the band now has a clear idea of how their concerts will turn out.
“We expect it to be rowdy,” Brantley said. “It seems like it’s always packed, but the past few times have been packed and a ton of fun.” The Orange Constant expects a rowdy, fun and reckless night, and they look forward to a good party and a good crowd, including some repeat customers.
In addition to providing excellent music and an entertaining atmosphere, the band also has a decent amount of future content to look forward to. A new single called “Prisoner Reprise” will likely appear at several shows, and they also have a large amount of new material.
“We’re looking into getting back into the studio and releasing another single then album next year sometime in the early summer,” Brantley said. “We work on [the material] in between tour runs.”
As far as this current run goes, The Orange Constant heads out to Tuscaloosa, AL after they finish in Clemson. They are also performing in New York City in Rockwood Music Hall and potentially participating in Sofar Sounds, a private show series.
“Everybody’s excited,” Brantley said. “It’s gonna be stressful, but we are excited.”
Almost as excited as some people on Clemson’s campus must be about the band’s return to downtown. But the question remains: how did a Georgia-based rock band find itself with such a perfect, Clemson-ish name?
“When we started the band and used to practice, we put orange foam pads over the windows,” Brantley said. “The sun shined through and the room would glow orange. We added ‘Constant’ because it’s unique and it references the sun, since it’s the orange constant and it’s always coming.”
Whether you are a new student looking for free entertainment, an upperclassman who just discovered a wonderful new way to decorate you room or an aspiring musician on the search for inspiration, this concert promises to scratch the itch of live concerts that so many college students allow to go ignored. If you happen to be in that last category, the band even has some advice for how to succeed.
“Don’t give up,” Brantley said. “Stay the course, and make sure you cover all your like bases. If you want to be a successful performer, know how to accept failure in a lot of different ways. Keep staying the course and try to be as well-rounded of a musician as possible.”
In addition to their upcoming concert, The Orange Constant also has a Spotify account, a website with online content, a Twitter and an Instagram, all of which can be found below.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2ZJzTxzesjXqxREe1J7YYM
Website: http://www.theorangeconstant.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orangeconstant/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/orangeconstant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Eembeddedtimeline%7Ctwterm%5E469188340575502337&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theorangeconstant.com%2F

Gallery • 1 Photos

Photo courtesy of Shane Nelson

The Orange Constant