Orlando Weeks + Support Tickets

JOY Presents...

Orlando Weeks studied illustration at Brighton University before spending a decade in the much lauded band, The Maccabees (Mercury music prize nominated, Ivor novello awarded and top 10 selling albums.) Since this time he has written a book, created artwork (Florence + The Machine, IDLES and Jamie T), recorded with other artists (Katy J. Pearson etc.) and pursued his own music.

Orlando Weeks’ upcoming third album ‘Loja’ is a record in which place is as vital a characteristic as the emotions and incidents that he explores. The overarching themes are optimism and reflection: the positive mindset that emerged as he left London for a new life in Lisbon together with a new-found awareness about the things that you have left behind. Contentment emanates like a comforting embrace from an old friend, a tone best encapsulated by the joy the musician and his son shared as they strolled through the gardens of The Gulbenkian Museum: its towering trees, flourishing ponds and cawing peacocks inspiring fantastic thoughts that glow fervently in ‘Best Night’. 

While Orlando dashes his conversation with regular deliberations on his recent influences (including, but not limited to, The Cure, Talk Talk, The Blue Nile and Style Council), he will more eagerly discuss how those collaborators helped provide something different to the relative isolation of making his ‘Hop Up’ album: El-Enany’s ad-libs, the broader options offered by Painter’s multi-instrumentalism, Caruso’s ability to shift a song’s entire mood by reworking his drum arrangements, and often stepping away with Doyle to unlock a solution to a dilemma by debating, “What would Michael Stipe or Peter Buck do?”  

That unique approach to ‘Loja’ is symbolic of Orlando Weeks’ status as one of the UK’s most distinctive artists. He first emerged with The Maccabees, who rose to become one of the nation’s most influential bands, their many triumphs including an Ivor Novello award and a #1 album in the shape of ‘Marks To Prove It’ before signing off at the peak of their powers with three sold-out nights at Alexandra Palace.

Cameron Picton:

 A mix of well-crafted songwriting and an atmospheric folky tone.