CUT from the same cloth as Everything Everything and influenced by Foals’ math-rock edge, Brighton four-piece Orchards are already gaining a reputation for stunning live shows and a knack for all that is catchy.

Coming off the back of a busy few months spent honing their live skills and tackling the festival scene full force, Will Kay caught up with the math-pop outfit to discuss songwriting, their biggest influences and the challenges of life as a band.

How did you guys meet and what are the origins of your band?

We all met at BIMM Brighton, the band itself started off as an acoustic project, we decided to get a full line up to achieve the sound we wanted.

Stylistically, who would you say are your main influences, both individually and as a band?

Mike Einziger from Incubus has some technically interesting parts with thoughtful use of effects that just work for the song. Jose Pasillas from Incubus, too, helped Will (drums) move away from playing thrash metal drums and focus on playing for the song. Nai Palm’s melodies are unpredictable, and you never get them out of your head. Biffy Clyro have loads of great riffs and melodies. Everything Everything & Foals, too.

What’s the songwriting process like for you guys?

We all tend to chip in with a bit of everything, but obviously tend to focus on our own bits. We like to go as far as we can with a song, and then strip it back to what we feel works the best.

What have you guys been up to in the past 6 months? What festivals have you played?

We have been doing lots of writing, and working on our live set for a while. We have recently released our latest single ‘Peggy’. At the moment we are recovering from playing TRUCK and YNOT festival as well as supporting Meet Me In St Louis and Fish Tank.

What’s next for you guys? Are you working on anything at the moment or are you focused on touring?

We have actually just received the final master for our next single which should be out in a couple of months if all goes to plan.

Do you have any upcoming shows that you’re particularly excited about?

In October we are playing A Carefully Planned Festival which is a multi-venue festival in Manchester kind of like The Great Escape. We have also got a secret live session in London coming up that we can’t say too much about and another festival which we have yet to announce.

What’s your top tip for new/upcoming bands?

Persevere and stick to your guns, don’t just write music that is the “cool” trend of the time. That sounds cheesy but you have to spend a lot of time in sweaty vans, practice rooms and venues with these people so it helps if you like each other!

What’s been your favourite release from this year?

Our pals in Clean Cut Kid have just released an amazing single this year called “We Used To Be In Love”, but as a band we still cant stop listening to Delta Sleeps record “Twin Galaxies” which they released last year. ABSOLUTE BANGERS.

How have you guys evolved since you started?

We have been through a couple of stages, but we have definitely started to find our sound and are now writing some music that we are all massively proud of. Focusing more on melody but keeping an interesting instrumental base to all our songs.

What’s been your biggest challenge as a band and how did you overcome it?

At the start of the year we lost and gained a vocalist, we think this is one of the hardest things any band can go through but we didn’t want to and haven’t taken any time out. We are really pleased with the reception we have been receiving since this change.