Shwmae and welcome back to Green Man Chinwag, where we introduce you to a bumper bunch of GM25 acts via our punchy mini-Q&A – both newer discoveries and firm favourites!
This week we’re catching up with boundary-pushing four-piece Oreglo, one of London’s brightest and boldest new collectives. The band have been performing together since they were teenagers, having connected at London youth clubs Tomorrow’s Warriors and Kinetica Bloco – the same organisations pivotal to the formation of GM alumni Ezra Collective.
Comprising C-sé (keys), Linus Barry (guitar), Nicco Rocco (drums) and Teigan Hastings, Oreglo have described their 2024 debut EP ‘Not Real People’ as having “a London sound”: sonically manifesting the singular energy and vibrancy of the capital. Across seven tracks, they challenge traditional genre structures by exploring jazz fusion, melding moments of improv with huge hooks.
In August, they will be heading to Wales for the first time as they make their GM debut. As we prepare to bear witness to what will be an extraordinary set, we asked the band some quick fire questions…
For fans of: Ezra Collective, Nubya Garcia, corto.alto
Where to start: ‘Peck’ – a groove-led ditty that is alive with intensity and rich with colour, ‘Peck’ traverses meticulously-layered mixes, and countless instrumental twists and turns.
What does your dream backstage rider look like?
An all-you-can-eat buffet with bottomless tiramisu, oh yes.
What can we expect from your Green Man 2025 performance?
Expect some surprises, for sure. We’ll be playing music from our debut EP ‘Not Real People’, but also experimenting with some new sounds from our upcoming project!
How does performing a festival set differ from one of your own headline shows?
Festival sets are always a bit more compact as you are dealing with a time limit, as well as a quick changeover and little to no soundcheck. This sometimes makes the sets more rushed but it also can make them more streamlined and exciting. A festival crowd will always be one of the best as you don’t really know what to expect – but there will be high energy regardless!
Any humorous experience you’ve had on stage…
We all get a crack out of each other's bops on stage to be honest. Teigan does some crazy footwork whilst playing his tuba, and Linus has a little bobbing up and down thing he does subconsciously.
If people could take away one thing from your music, what would it be?
To be honest, this is a whole deep question of like, ‘What do we want out of music, and what exactly do we want audiences to feel?
I think we don’t want to try and cater our music to feeling a certain way, but rather to imply an expression and leave space for audiences to interpret the music. Each individual's experience in life is unique, but if we can at least inspire or invigorate one person's soul, then that’s a win.
How do you go about negotiating creative perspectives within the group?
It's quite interesting as all four of us have very distinct tastes. Whenever a new idea is formed, everyone might hear the music going in different ways from each other based on different stylistic interests. But the juxtaposition of such ideas is what ends up creating a new sound that none of us could’ve anticipated.
And finally, what’s your favourite biscuit?
Ah this is a great question, very very important. It would have to be chocolate digestives!