Local musical sensation Wild Sweet Orange discusses success, struggles and a bright new direction. 
BY EMILY ETHEREDGE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMILY HOOTEN 

    For the members of indie-pop group Wild Sweet Orange (WSO), this has been one whirlwind of a year. The popular Birmingham-based band released its first album titled We Have Cause To Be Uneasy, performed on David Letterman, toured with The Counting Crows, and, most recently, broke up—sort of.
    After the group severed ties with its record label and parted ways with a few members, the future looked uncertain. But over coffee one steamy summer morning, lead singer Preston Lovinggood and drummer Chip Kilpatrick put the rumors to rest: Wild Sweet Orange would live on. Now a dynamic duo,WSO is back in the studio, working hard on an album that should release early next year. Though they’re doing it on their own this time, Chip and Preston recognize their good fortune in dabbling in national success. “We signed a record deal at age 23, got to see America, learned how to pack light and realized that people are the same wherever we go,” Preston says. Chip, still in awe of making it in such a tough industry, says, “I get paid to play the drums.”
    So what’s it like to be famous and have your music played on TV shows like Grey’sAnatomy? Preston and Chip just laugh. “To some extent we are local celebrities but as far as being truly famous we really aren’t,” Preston says. “We have fun at what we do and have gotten to meet a lot of cool people, and that is about it.” All the same, WSO fans are eagerly anticipating the new album, which the guys say will have a lighter sound than their first, leaving listeners with more of an upbeat experience. “Indie music has the tendency to be so weighted down with this intellectual experience. It’s nice sometimes to not have to think about it so much,” Preston says. “We want people to feel good, which is what pop music should be about.”
    The pair’s musical influences range from the likes of The Beatles, Elvis and local early-90s group Decay Debate Street to modern-day hit-makers Taylor Swift and KanyeWest. Today, they create their unique sound by fusing that inspiration with lyrics drawn from experiences growing up in the suburbs. “Flannery O’Connor once said that if you survive your childhood, you have enough information to last your entire life,” Preston says. “Finding enjoyment in life is enough inspiration to last a lifetime.” If that’s true, Preston and Chip should have no shortage; they seem to genuinely enjoy the simple things in life—like playing music with their best friends and having a great time doing so—and it makes their artistry believable.
    So what can Birmingham music lovers do to support Wild Sweet Orange? “Be patient, continue the love, give music out to your friends, not only in Birmingham but also in other cities, and come to our venues,” Preston says. And of course, Chip adds, get excited for their next recording: “Have a great Christmas break and come back ready to hear a new album."