Join Nic Blom, bassist for Australian psych-rock band Ocean Alley, as he shares his experience with the legendary Orange AD200 and OBC810 cabinet, both revamped and re-released in 2024. Filmed on stage at London’s iconic Roundhouse before the band’s second of two sold out shows, Nic walks us through his personal setup, dialing in his signature sound, and explains why the AD200 has become a cornerstone of Ocean Alley’s live performances.
Watch as Nic discusses the rich, all-tube tone that perfectly complements his playing style and gives him the power to fill any venue. This video also features exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and live performance clips of Ocean Alley on tour, including their latest single, “Tangerine.”
While the majority of our interviews are conducted backstage or at festivals in a fairly casual setting, we decided to make the most of being in Hollywood – or at least pretty close to Hollywood – and go full out interrogation style when catching up with Deathchant prior to their Orange Jams session, celebrating the launch of their latest album “Thrones”. Massive thanks to our friends over at Jami n the Van for lending their space, resources and camera skills, and to Spudnik for making sure the band arrived safely and on time.
https://orangeamps.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Riley-Hawk-Orange-Box-shoot-1.jpg10801920Ella Stormarkhttps://orangeamps.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Orange-Pics-logo-307px-279x103.pngElla Stormark2024-05-24 17:35:262024-05-24 17:35:32Riley Hawk and the Orange Box
Orange: Can you introduce yourself? Pickle: Hey! I’m Pickle from Frankie and the Witch Fingers!
Orange: Can you name five songs you can’t get enough of right now? 1 – “Queen of the Underground” by GOAT 2 – “As Above, So Below” Tom Tom Club 3 – “Cave Crawl” Warm Drag 4 – “Love is the Drug” Roxy Music 5 – “There You Are” Nate Mercerau
Orange: How did you end up playing with Frankie & The Witch Fingers? Pickle: Oh, I wound up playing music with these boys because they asked me to! I originally met Josh the lead guitarist in 2015 when our former bands did a two-week tour together, and I ended up becoming close friends with the whole Frankie gang over the subsequent years. I was busy playing and touring in other bands, but in my spare time I was always doing whatever I could to support Frankie from behind the scenes. Like, designing show posters and album covers, and making merch for them – plus I did live photography and ran their merch booth on a handful of tours for them. I was already deeply embedded in the Frankie family, so it was a pretty organic transition when they parted ways with their original bassist in 2020 and they asked me to step in.
Orange: Can you tell us a bit about your musical background prior to that? Pickle: Before I joined this band, I had been playing music on-and-off for about 5 years with another LA-based garage band called Death Valley Girls. That was definitely my longest-running musical group and it’s what taught me the most about touring, but I’ve been jumping around between different LA bands since 2010 when I first started playing music.
Orange: How old were you when you got into playing, and what triggered the interest in music beyond listening? Pickle: Honestly, I never thought I’d ever be a musician! I grew up in a very musical household, my Dad was a touring keyboardist for Steppenwolf and Berlin among other bands, and he and my uncle were always playing live rock music and jamming around me. In typical teenage fashion I considered it kinda lame. I thought “this shit is for old dudes from the 1970’s”. I loved listening to music, especially classic rock and roll, but I really never considered it my thing – I always planned on changing the world with my visual art instead. I went to college for graphic design and illustration and I never even picked up an instrument. Then, in 2010, I was working as a graphic designer in the marketing department for Guitar Center’s corporate office and everyone around me happened to be a musician. They’d walk around the office with an acoustic guitar and just jam out anytime of day, it was so fun. A friend of mine there taught me to play like 3 notes on his electric bass so that we could jam on some Tom Petty and Green Day songs together for fun, and I IMMEDIATELY ran out and got myself my own bass and joined my first band within like a month or two. I was 27 at the time and hadn’t really touched an instrument before that, and it was like some latent thing had been suddenly awakened in me. I’ve never looked back since!
Orange: Was bass your first instrument? Pickle: Yep! It’s the first instrument I loved. I had some random piano recitals and violin classes when I was a kid, but I never realized I was actually passionate about playing music until I picked up the bass.
Orange: What’s your experience with Orange and current Orange amp? Pickle: I remember that a bassist friend who I idolized had taken me to the NAMM show in like 2011 or 2012, and we were so excited about visiting the Orange booth together. The reps were so nice, they let us hang around playing all the various amps and cabs on display there, and he ended up buying a Terror Bass 1000w bass head that we were both so giddy about. Ever since then, I’ve been a fan of Orange. Obviously, you see all these long-haired metal dudes shredding through Orange amps on these giant stages, and I’m like… ME FUCKIN’ TOO, DUDES! Now my Terror Bass comes with me almost everywhere. It’s my secret weapon.
Orange: Would you consider yourself a gearhead who loves to get techy, or are you more of a plug and play kinda gal? Pickle: I consider myself someone who knows HER gear. I like what I like, and I love getting in the weeds talking about my gear with other people who are also passionate about their tone. I can definitely geek out about the stuff that I like. I think all musicians are like that to some degree. We get really precious about all our little toys, and the cool tricks we’ve learned to do with them. Ask anyone about their rig and they’ll get the same gleam in their eye about it that a 7-year-old does with their favorite set of Legos.
Orange: Your latest album “Data Doom” was released last year, how’s life been since? Have you been working on any new material or mostly busy touring? Pickle: Yeah, we released Data Doom back in September of 2023, and we toured pretty darn hard around that release. It feels good to be home in LA again for a minute even if we are still busy-busy-busy. Right now, we’re back in the studio writing the next album! We’ll be recording that in a couple weeks and then it’s back out on the road again for spring and summer festivals.
Orange: How’s 2024 looking Pickle, and Frankie and the Witch Fingers? Pickle: I’m super stoked to get back on the road. As much as I like being home and spending time with the guys being creative and making new songs in the studio, my real passion is performing and I actually can’t wait to get back to the tour grind! We’ve got some really exciting things coming up – like, we’re throwing a big 4/20 show in Los Angeles at this secret DIY spot and we’re also releasing a live album for Record Store Day that day. Then, we’re immediately heading to Austin for Austin Psych Fest and zipping right out again to Europe and the UK to play some sick festivals like Desertfest London and Fuzz Club Fest and like a whole month of shows there!
https://orangeamps.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Frankie-and-the-Witch-Fingers-Nikki-Pickle-Photo-Credit-@jenziphoto-.jpg17282160Ella Stormarkhttps://orangeamps.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Orange-Pics-logo-307px-279x103.pngElla Stormark2024-04-09 10:00:002024-03-26 20:24:06Interview: Pickle from Frankie and the Witch Fingers
Orange Jams is a series of live sessions hosted by Orange & Jam in the Van which features Orange ambassadors from across the globe. This session features Orange ambassadors Deathchant live at Jam in the Van’s LA headquarters.
Thank you for tuning into our Deathchant Orange Jams session, we hope you loved it just as much as we do. Check out the rest of our Orange Jams sessions here, and visit Jam in the Van’s website and socials for more music and comedy.
https://orangeamps.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Deathchant-Orange-Jams-at-Jam-in-the-Van-T.J-polaroid.jpg10321032Ella Stormarkhttps://orangeamps.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Orange-Pics-logo-307px-279x103.pngElla Stormark2024-03-11 18:31:592024-04-16 07:15:47Deathchant – Orange Jams with Jam in the Van
Can you name a band or artist that inspired you to get into music in the first place? Robin: I started rolling around in tin foil and tennis rackets in 1976. Shin guards. Fangs. Whatever it took. That Kiss thing gripped me good from five. I was done for. Eventually at six or seven I opened up to ‘regular groups’ from my Dad’s collection, like Yes and Steely Dan. Blue Cheer. The Jimi Hendrix Experience. But it was the bald guy with the push broom mustache and cigarette breaks at a family wedding that made it all real. Jewel light. Dangerous electric buzz. The pushing and pulling of strings. So that’s what that is. Tuning. Never heard of it. The existence of the celluloid tortoise shell ‘pick’. Felt like I had put a little piece of the spaceship in my pocket when no one was looking. I sat cross legged in front of him all afternoon into evening. He probably thought I was adorbs. I was not. I was flipping the fuck out.
Can you share a recent musical discovery with us? Robin: Intergalactic dream journey escape genius. Lisa Bella Donna.
What can you tell us about your playlist? Robin: I keep a playlist of Sabbath inspired desert dirge doom core close. With outliers. Global and of the ages. I love every track. Thanks be to them. This all hangs out the window to and from Joshua Tree, California. I can get there, and back, in about 50 songs. It’s also what I reach for when I want to stop thinking and just play and play loud. And yes it roars on the Orange Box. Best of its kind!
https://orangeamps.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Artists-and-the-Orange-Box-Road-tripping-to-Joshua-Tree-with-Robin-Finck-of-Nine-Inch-Nails.jpg.jpg10801440Ella Stormarkhttps://orangeamps.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Orange-Pics-logo-307px-279x103.pngElla Stormark2024-02-22 23:55:002024-03-26 11:43:57The Orange Box: Road-tripping to Joshua Tree with Robin Finck of Nine Inch Nails
Orange Jams is a series of live sessions hosted by Orange & Jam in the Van which features Orange ambassadors from across the globe. This session features Orange ambassadors Speed of Light live from Jam in the Van’s LA headquarters.
Thank you for tuning into our Speed of Light Orange Jams session, we hope you loved it just as much as we do. Check out the rest of our Orange Jams sessions here, and visit Jam in the Van’s website and socials for more music and comedy.
https://orangeamps.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Speed-of-Light-Orange-Jams-at-Jam-in-the-Van-I.png10801920Ella Stormarkhttps://orangeamps.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Orange-Pics-logo-307px-279x103.pngElla Stormark2024-02-21 22:44:262024-02-21 23:02:03Speed of Light – Orange Jams with Jam in the Van
When he’s not performing on stage, Scott Holiday has taken on the responsibility of DJ duties on the Rival Sons tour bus, where the Orange Box plays an important part. Here, Scott shares one of his earliest musical heroes as well as a recent musical discovery, as well as a playlist he has created for our listening pleasure.
“The Box has been dubbed the “Lunchable” by everyone on the bus. They know when I break out the Lunchable, shit’s about to get real..” – Scott Holiday
Was there a band or artist that influenced you as a player or to get into music in the first place? Scott: David Gilmour / Pink Floyd
Can you share a new band or artist you have recently discovered? Scott: Dina Ögon
I make playlists all the time. I come from the era of the “mix tape”…and then “burning cd’s”… And now, it’s “Playlist”. This particular one was created while touring Europe. Its soul purpose was to use on the bus for something the crew calls “roadie friday”. I think it’s self explanatory. After playing so much rock n roll, I find it necessary to dive into other genres on days off-or time home. At home, for me it’s a lot of jazz. For Roadie Friday, it’s heavy on the funk and soul. But plenty other stuff snuck into this playlist. These are all mostly artists that have profoundly influenced me as a player and what I consider to be greatness in the genres. Masters. This playlist will absolutely lift your spirits and keeps the party going. Solid hour and 40min of musical love.
https://orangeamps.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Scott-Holiday-Rival-Sons-and-the-Orange-Box-scaled.jpeg25602048Ella Stormarkhttps://orangeamps.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Orange-Pics-logo-307px-279x103.pngElla Stormark2024-01-26 00:01:002024-03-26 11:43:16The Orange Box: On the road with Scott Holiday & Rival Sons
Orange Jams is a series of live sessions hosted by Orange & Jam in the Van which features Orange ambassadors from across the globe. This session features Orange Brent Cobb & band live from Jam in the Van’s LA headquarters.
Thank you for tuning into our Brent Cobb Orange Jams session, we hope you loved it just as much as we do. Check out the rest of our Orange Jams sessions here, and visit Jam in the Van’s website and socials for more music and comedy.
https://orangeamps.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Brent-Cobb-Orange-Jams.jpg10801920Ella Stormarkhttps://orangeamps.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Orange-Pics-logo-307px-279x103.pngElla Stormark2024-01-10 04:20:012024-07-08 08:53:16Brent Cobb – Orange Jams with Jam in the Van
Orange Ambassadors are artists around the world who endorse Orange products and, in return, receive support from our company:
Special Pricing on Purchases
Backline Support (Mainly for Overseas Touring)
Priority Tech Support
Cross-Promotional and Content-Sharing Opportunities
Our desire is to create mutually-beneficial, give-and-take relationships where both parties are endeavouring to support one another.
We often get asked about our endorsements and what we look for in qualifying artists. While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, we want to share some key points that influence our decisions. This should help clarify the process. In an ideal world, being an amazing guitarist or bassist would be enough, but things are a bit more complex from a business standpoint. So, before you spend hours perfecting your ambassador application, please read on for some Orange A&R insights:
Are you an established band or artist? While we’d love to support every aspiring musician on their journey to stardom, our endorsements are geared towards those who’ve already made some headway. We don’t expect a decades-long career, but we need to see that you and your band are serious and have built something tangible beyond your rehearsal space. Dreams are fantastic, but we need more than just plans.
Have you released any music? You need to have some music out there. If you’re thinking, “I just dropped my debut single last month” or “I released an album in 2013,” that might not be enough. We want to see consistent activity, writing, and creating. A lone song or an old album followed by radio silence won’t cut it.
Are you touring and playing shows? Playing to a packed local pub is great, but have you ventured out, toured, or played non-local shows? If not, we recommend doing so before considering an endorsement. Expanding your audience beyond family and friends is crucial.
Are you signed, or do you have a manager, PR rep, or agent? We have immense respect for DIY artists, so don’t let this deter you. While it’s not a requirement, having a label or professional support shows that others believe in your potential and are willing to invest time and resources. It indicates that you’re serious about taking things to the next level.
Are you promoting yourself? Being an artist today means juggling your craft with marketing, social media, photography, copywriting, and content creation. We know it’s a lot—social media can be a necessary evil—but it’s an integral part of the modern industry. Even if you’re not touring but have a significant online presence, we might still collaborate. Our goal is to get our amps played in front of as many people as possible, whether on a festival stage or a viral TikTok video. The industry is evolving, and so are its demands.
How far along are you in your musical journey? If you’ve just started playing, you’re not ready for an endorsement yet. But keep at it—you could be a future star on our roster! While we love technical prowess, it’s not mandatory. You don’t need to nail Rush’s “La Villa Strangiato”; just play well enough to master your music.
Are you genuinely interested in a partnership, or just looking for free gear? Artist pricing is a fantastic perk, especially in today’s economy. But if your main pitch is wanting a free Rockerverb to “promote to your 112 followers,” that’s not what we’re looking for. We seek artists for mutually beneficial relationships. Focus on your hard work and growth, so we’d be proud to have you represent Orange.
Now that we’ve laid this out, you should have a clearer idea of what we’re after. If you feel that you can be a good fit for our endorsement program, please find our ambassador application form here.
We know it’s tempting to resubmit your application frequently and follow up by phone to ensure we’ve seen it. While we appreciate the enthusiasm, it’s not necessary. We review ambassador applications regularly and contact successful applicants. Due to the high volume, we can’t respond to everyone, but we genuinely appreciate each application and thank you for your support.
