Orange Juice

United Kingdom, 1979–1985

Glasgow band around Edwyn Collins and the flagship of Postcard Records — punk's energy with the aggression swapped for jangle, Chic guitar and a knowing lyric. Most of Scottish indie starts here.

MusicRoots documents 4 artists who influenced Orange Juice and 1 artist Orange Juice influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Orange Juice?

• The Velvet Underground — Half of the formula. Collins wanted the guitar of the Live '69 records — loose, trebly, played rather than performed.
• Chic — The other half, and the unlikely one: Nile Rodgers's chopped rhythm guitar is what makes a Glasgow post-punk record danceable instead of grim.
• The Byrds — Where the jangle comes from — the 1960s guitar chime that punk had ruled out and Collins put straight back in.
• Buzzcocks — Not the sound so much as the permission: Spiral Scratch proved a band could put out its own record. Collins played the riff from 'Boredom' into 'Rip It Up' as an acknowledgement.

Which artists did Orange Juice influence?

• Franz Ferdinand — The Glasgow band Kapranos names first, and a touchstone he says was as much about attitude as sound — Postcard's way of putting records out mattered as much as the records.