I See Orange: Wine Boy – Single Review
(Lemon Sun Records)
Rising alternative post-grunge trio I See Orange continue their upward momentum with the release of their new single Wine Boy – a track that captures the band’s knack for balancing gritty rock textures with sharp melodic instincts. Arriving amongst a run of showcase appearances in the United States, including sets at New Colossus Festival in New York City and SXSW in Austin, the single feels like a confident statement from a band clearly pushing beyond the UK circuit and onto a broader international stage.
From its opening moments, Wine Boy establishes a tight, grunge groove through boxy strummed guitar and tight drums under the melodic vocals. The track soon bursts into a fuzzy wall of distortion as the vocal melodies move to the infectious chorus and bass anchors the track. Layered harmonies that feel both nostalgic and contemporary both hammer home the obvious 90s rock influences whilst also mirroring a more commercial minded writing style. It’s a sound that nods to the weight of 1990s alternative rock while maintaining a polished, hook-forward sensibility suited to modern alt-rock playlists.
Central to the track’s pull is Giselle Medina’s vocal performance. Her delivery moves fluidly between restraint and intensity, mirroring the song’s lyrical theme of intoxication, not merely through drink, but through desire and emotional fixation. The band explain:
“Lyrically, Wine Boy explores the feeling of being in love in a metaphorically ‘non-sober’ state – intoxicated not just by another person, but by sensation, desire, and obsession. The song was born from a sudden fascination with red wine: its deep burgundy color, rich taste, and the ritual of discovering it for the first time. What began as a literal love for the drink quickly transformed into something more imaginative, a love affair where the bottle itself became a character, a ‘boy’, brought to life through metaphor.”
Wine Boy feels like a natural progression from the band’s debut EP Lonesome Joy, further refining the heavy yet melodic identity that has already earned them radio support from tastemakers such as BBC Introducing and KEXP. The band’s growing reputation for energetic live performances is easy to imagine here; the track’s punchy arrangement and sing-along chorus seem tailor-made for stages and festival crowds.
With international showcases under their belt and upcoming recording sessions in LA on the horizon, Wine Boy showcases the potential which I See Orange have.
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All words by Simon Lucas-Hughes. More writing by Simon Lucas-Hughes can be found at his author’s archive.
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