Wild Sweet Orange

“Ten Dead Dogs“
from the album We Have Cause to Be Uneasy
2008
iTunes

By the time 2008 has ended, Preston Lovinggood will have spent what feels like his entire 23 years living out of a Ford Econoline van. He’ll ingest pounds of unhealthy food. He’ll struggle to maintain any semblance of a relationship with a woman. And he’ll get to know the three other gentlemen in Wild Sweet Orange on a level of unshowered intimacy that no human should endure.

“It’s so hard, dude,” admits Lovinggood, the group’s singer-songwriter. “It’s really confusing. Because I’m kind of like, ‘Is touring for a band like us worth it? I mean, is it working?’ I don’t really know. I think it is.”

It’s not an easy question. But it’s the sort of introspection that comes naturally for Lovinggood, whose thoughtful songs are filled with hope and longing.

Touring is a rite of passage for a fledgling band like Wild Sweet Orange. But if any up-and-coming act was prepared early in life, it’s these Birmingham, Ala., boys, who range in age from 22 to 24. The members of the group — which also includes Chip Kilpatrick (drums), Taylor Shaw (guitar) and Garret Kelly (bass) — have run in the same circles since junior high, Lovinggood says. He and Kilpatrick became instant best friends in fifth grade. They grew up in suburbia attending the same Baptist church and going on choir trips together.

“It’s funny, too,” Lovinggood says, “because I remember traveling at that young age, doing those trips and going to motels and just being so happy. Turning to Chip even as a middle-schooler and going, ‘I want to live in a motel forever.’ So now we get to. So it’s definitely bittersweet. But mostly sweet.”

Wild Sweet Orange only began touring about a year ago. Enough grassroots buzz was generated to land the members a major-label deal on Canvasback/Columbia Records. The band’s first full-length album, We Have Cause to Be Uneasy, is slated to hit stores July 15.

Until then, fans have been adoring Wild Sweet Orange’s self-released EP The Whale, particularly in spot markets such as Seattle and Boise. (The $3.99 CD has appeared repeatedly in the top 10 best sellers at the Record Exchange.) It’s an exceptional, five-shot snapshot of Wild Sweet Orange’s vibe.

Lovinggood’s vulnerable singing style — his voice sometimes resembles a sensitive, quieter Billy Corgan — complements the band’s delicate indie-rock instrumentation. Songs like “Wrestle with God” allude to Lovinggood’s religious upbringing, while the exuberant refrain of “I’m Coming Home” reminds us that no matter how tough the road is for Wild Sweet Orange, Birmingham will be waiting.

Based on Lovinggood’s comfort level sharing his feelings, he probably would have made a terrific English major back home – if he hadn’t dropped out after two semesters.

“I tried to go to college,” he says, “and out of that (it) kind of birthed me writing my own songs and starting Wild Sweet Orange.”

At least he gave school the ol’ college try.

“I gave it the ol’ college try, man,” agrees Lovinggood, laughing aloud but sounding confident in his life’s path. “That’s hilarious.”