Boston’s underground music scene just got a whole lot sweeter with the emergence of Orange Blossom. Featuring Abram Alcantar on the cello, Arend Tigchelaar on the bass, Easton Boyars on the drums, Seku Fujino-Harmachis on the guitar, and Zagara Sims on the guitar, Orange Blossom’s sound is as unique and exuberant as their group’s dynamic. This genre-bending band, which formed out of Berklee College of Music, based its name on frontwoman Zagara Sims, whose first name means “orange blossom” in Italian.
With a discography of soon-to-be-released songs, the band has been playing local Boston venues such as the Lilypad. Sound of Boston recently spoke with Orange Blossom about their unreleased music, creative processes, and experiences as Berklee students over Zoom.
Delaney Roberts (DR): How did this band come to fruition?
Zagara Sims (ZS): I spent a semester abroad at Berklee’s campus in Valencia, Spain. It was so mellow compared to going to school in Boston. In the music scene, people are just having fun with it. I saw someone assemble a band to play their original music, and I thought, “Hm, I want to do that.” I messaged Abram, Arend, Easton, and Seku, asking if they’d be interested in playing my music and forming a band.
Seku Fujino-Harmachis (SFH): We had worked together on previous projects. These were my favorite musicians to play with before even forming the band. When Zagara messaged us, it was the perfect opportunity for us to start our own project.
DR: How would you describe the genre of music you guys play?
Arend Tigchelaar (AT): Whimsical-indie-folk-jazz-pop.
Abram Alcantar (AA): We all influence each other. For example, Zagara brings a folk element to the table with her songwriting and guitar skills. As a collective, we all have different interests and genres that we combine to give us our unique sound.
AT: Seku, Easton, and I have played in a lot of R&B groups together, which influences our songwriting. For example, when we’re writing songs, Seku and I gravitate towards an R&B harmony while Zagara keeps us grounded with her folk influences.
DR: You have an unreleased, original song called “Caterpillar” that we were lucky enough to hear early. Can you tell us more about that song?
ZS: I wrote that for an assignment while I was abroad. I wanted to test my writing skills, so I used the word caterpillar over and over again and tried to rhyme it in different ways. Caterpillar led me to the word “pillar,” which I then connected to the idea of becoming a butterfly.
AA: Zagara brought this song to us. We each added our contribution to the song, causing it to turn into something completely different yet beautiful.
DR: Was there a defining moment that solidified your belief in the band?
AT: “Caterpillar” was the first song I heard from Zagara. When I heard it, I thought, “Oh okay, Zagara is cool. She has her sound. We can totally make it as a band.” This is unique, and it sounds amazing. Developing that song and working on the string rhythms was so much fun, and I feel like we made it into something cool.
DR: What’s your creative process like when writing or composing music? Do you have a particular routine or inspiration source?
Easton Boyars (EB): We approach our songs openly and collaboratively, incorporating elements from one another. None of us is as good at each other’s instruments. For example, Zagara sent me the audio file of “Caterpillar” months before we hung out and rehearsed the song. I played all the various parts, but it didn’t sound great because I can’t play the guitar, cello, or sing as well as my bandmates. We each add our unique talent.
EB: We’re all insanely busy yet willing to put in the time and effort to be a band, which is a rare thing at our school, where everyone would rather make music by themselves. There’s something special about the dedication it takes both mentally and physically that we can pull off because we’re such good friends.
AT: Our friendship makes the band’s dynamic flow smoothly. It never feels like a chore to write and practice with these guys. It always feels like we’re just hanging out.
DR: Other than playing your given instruments, how do each of you contribute to the band behind the scenes?
AA: When we started this, there were many other aspects of the band to consider, beyond just creating music. For example, I have a background in visual arts, so I thought, “Oh, I guess I’m marketing now.” I create all of our posters and flyers and ensure everything we post on social media looks good.
AT: My strongest contribution behind the scenes is arranging the songs. When Zagara brings us a song, I’ll make sure the arrangement sounds cohesive. I also have a good ear, so if something sounds off or doesn’t fit, I’m able to pinpoint it and correct it. I make sure that the song grooves and has an art to it.
SFH: I also help with the arrangement. For our newer songs, I’ve been focusing on the harmonic element of every song. Recently, I was working on one of our projects, and Arend told me the harmonies weren’t working. So, I worked with Zagara to figure out how to make the chords work with the melody and vice versa.
EB: Since I’m not playing a harmonic instrument, I provide an unbiased perspective to ensure everyone’s instrument is balanced. I also play a bit of a managing role, along with Zagara, doing my best to get us studio time and venues.
ZS: I mainly bring the lyricism. One of my favorite things to do is ask the band to give me a random word. From there, we’ll make a song. I’m very content in my mind and my ability to bring a song to life.
DR: How has being a Berklee student impacted your music?
EB: Being a Berklee student has given me a middle ground to understand what’s cool to trained musicians versus things that all music lovers will enjoy. It gives me a good frame of reference for what qualifies as higher-quality music.
ZS: Observing fellow musicians helped me a lot. When I went into my first songwriting class, I felt like I was hearing the same formula over and over again. It didn’t resonate with my experience. The first song I wrote that I was proud of was my take on the mythological story of Icarus, who flew too close to the sun. From there, I found my own way of songwriting.
SFH: I’ve grown a lot as a musician since I started at Berklee. However, most of that growth has come from my classmates and the learning that comes from outside the classroom.
DR: Finally, what are some goals for the band in the next year?
ZS: Putting out music! Singles, albums, EPs. Everything under the sun. Stay tuned!
Orange Blossom can be found via their Instagram, and be sure to keep an eye out for their future releases and shows around town.