Los Angeles Indie Bedroom Pop Rockers Tangerine Drop Newest Single ‘The Coldest Winter’

Now based in Los Angeles, Tangerine was founded in Seattle by sisters Marika and Miró Justad and Toby Kuhn. Described as “girl group grunge-gorgeous indie” by The Guardian, the band has played at many festivals throughout North America, as well as toured with Jack Antonoff’s indie pop band, Bleachers, and the Orlando bedroom pop duo SALES. 

After a recent death in the Justad family, the three built a home studio to process their pain and heartache. They found themselves turning their emotions from personal loss into sound while they were quarantined together, which led to their latest single, “The Coldest Winter”. 

The new tune showcases their soft and dreamy vocals that turn a rather dark time into a beautiful melody that lets the light in. The lyrics, “It was super cold that winter, and if I remember that’s the year you broke my heart…I can still see your face, I can still recall that pain/It’s like listening to a storm, now I’m safe and warm”, are sung as the light instrumentals and acoustics bring a unique yet comforting feeling to listeners. It’s almost as though you’re in the room as they share their hearts and pull you into their thoughts, making everything else disappear. 

Their debut singles from 2014, “You’ll Always Be Lonely” and “Nothing Better” display their energetic alternative sound at that time. Followed by Sugar Teeth in 2016, the lively rock continues throughout the four-track EP, with the single “Sunset” encompassing their passion and fun personalities. Next up was the light and airy indie track, “Sly Moon”, released in 2017. 

Marika explained to Billboard that at one point they were more of a rock ‘n’ roll band inspired by The Pixies and Velvet Underground, but they started to embrace more of a dreamy pop ambience when they released their 2018 EP, White Dove. 

The EP features the single “Local Mall”, with a music video to go along with it that was filmed on an iPhone and edited by the group itself. Justad went on to explain that the video portrays the contrasts of the everyday mundane and the larger emotions that pop up, and juxtaposing day and night with cowboy hats and a “fantasy world”. White Dove also captures the free tune and lyrics of “Cherry Red”, which breaks the general molds of pop music by combining elements of different genres. Continuing on in the pop world, the 2019 single “Chains” brings a catchy piece as they sing “Love is ours if we really want it” throughout the chorus. 

With a variety of songs in their catalog already, Tangerine is sure to continue releasing new music along with “The Coldest Winter” that fits the beat of their own hearts.