The Mission Orange went on its first tour in 2008, and like so many firsts, the trip had its awkward moments.
The ambitious jaunt found the two Conway friends playing shows as far south as Arizona. The last out-of-state concert was scheduled at a bar in Eugene, Ore. To make it, they drove overnight from Bakersfield, Calif., only to be told they couldn’t play. They were underage.
“You live and you learn,” said Marcus Nevitt, now 18.
“Well, and you get older than 17,” added Sam Hutchens, 19.
The two friends won’t run into any age restrictions when they play Sound Off! at the Experience Music Project on Saturday night. The Seattle competition was designed for acts who are 21 and younger.
The Mission Orange formed in August 2006, taking its name from a defunct brand of soda. After honing their chops in Hutchens’ garage, the pair tried out for Sound Off! in 2008. They didn’t make the cut.
“We were kind of like, ‘Why didn’t we get in?’” said Nevitt. “What we said was, ‘We’ll do it next year and we’ll be better.’ “
And they were. This time, the group won votes from EMP’s youth advisory board, EMP staffers and a group of outside judges, securing a spot among 12 acts competing for stage time at Bumbershoot 2009. (Full disclosure: This reporter sat on the judging panel.)
While the Mission Orange has made strides forward, its sound is far from polished. That’s intentional.
Hutchens, who plays drums, and Nevitt, who sings and plays guitar, cite brambly indie rock groups as a major influence. They point to popular two-pieces such as the Black Keys and the White Stripes, along with early Seattle grunge bands, as sources of inspiration.
The two friends share more than a taste in music, though. They became friends around middle school. They go on hikes together. Both still live with their respective parents, about 3 miles from each other in Conway in south Skagit County.
They even took guitar lessons from the same man, Thom Gustafson of the Northwest School of Guitar in Mount Vernon.
“The thing that strikes me about the music is the tightness,” Gustafson said of his former students. “The riffs are really tight. … They’re really high energy when they perform.”
The group’s fate in Sound Off! remains to be seen. If they win on Saturday, they will advance to the March 7 finals.
Whatever happens, the two have a simple plan going forward.
“Just be a nice person and play good music,” Nevitt said. “That’s kind of the rules we’ve been following so far, and it’s been working.”
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com
Sound Off!
The Mission Orange with Brier Rose, Free City Collective and Makeup Monsters; 8 p.m. Feb. 21, Experience Music Project Level 3 stage, 325 Fifth Ave. N., Seattle; $10, $7 students and EMP members; 206-770-2702
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
