Join LA-based indie R&B artist Orion Sun on Sound Advice, the weekly interview series covering artists’ journeys and their creative process — from her DIY albums to international tours.
Welcome to Sound Advice, the series spotlighting artists’ creative process and their SoundCloud journey. We’ll get the inside knowledge straight from the source on how musicians, producers and creatives are leaning into everything SoundCloud offers to elevate their sound, get heard and catapult their careers. Sound Advice is now available in audio format on the SoundCloud Stories profile.
In this episode, we explore music as self-discovery with Orion Sun, the South Jersey-raised, LA-based vocalist, songwriter and producer. Named after Orion, the great hunter in Greek mythology and the constellation of stars, Orion embodies resilience and creativity in her indie R&B music. From the recent breakthrough track “Dirty Dancer” to her latest album, ‘Orion,’ (via Mom + Pop), she blends shoegaze, hip-hop and neo-soul influences with heartfelt themes of love and sorrow.
Recently turning 29 years old, Orion Sun first started out on GarageBand with a ukulele, using SoundCloud like a personal diary, uploading experimental beat tapes and demos. Nearly a decade later, Orion has toured internationally — check out upcoming Orion Sun tour dates and tickets here — collaborated with Fred again.. (on 2024’s “ItsNotREEAALLLLLLLL”) and Rostam of Vampire Weekend (on 2022’s “Concrete”), and continues to forge her own path as an artist.
Throughout our deep-dive conversation, Orion discusses authenticity, inspiration and the highs and lows of being an artist and poet in the music industry today. With insights that are sure to inspire self-reflection, hear Orion Sun discuss how she got started as a producer, drawing inspiration from the greats like Stevie Wonder, how she is approaching leveling up her live show, using SoundCloud like an audio diary and more insights that are sure to inspire self-reflection.
LISTEN TO THE AUDIO EPISODE OF SOUND ADVICE FEATURING ORION SUN
LISTEN TO 'ORION' BY ORION SUN
Things We Talked About In This Episode of Sound Advice
How Orion Sun’s South Jersey Roots and Los Angeles Home Inspire Her Indie R&B Sound
- We begin our conversation with Orion Sun reflecting on her recent tour, in support of her 2024 album ‘Orion.’ The experience has emboldened her as an artist and she feels closer to her namesake: the hunter Orion, known for attributes such as patience, resilience, hope and knowledge. They’re attributes that she’s cultivated throughout her music career, as an artist in the indie R&B genre. If you’re looking for Orion Sun tour information, be sure to check out her updated concert schedule and tickets.
- Orion Sun reflects on her South Jersey upbringing and how a deep love of nature connects her to her Black ancestors, shaping her unique indie R&B sound. Emphasizing authenticity above all, she shares why she prefers a slow-burn approach to building her career — one rooted in genuine self-expression and emotional resonance.
How Artists Like Stevie Wonder and Lauryn Hill Influenced Orion Sun’s Artistry and Creative Process
- Orion draws inspiration from Stevie Wonder’s music and the sheer volume of his output. The vastness of his catalog has given Orion the gift of constant discovery — she seemingly always finds a new song to listen to, no matter how long she’s been a fan of his. This is what Orion aims for in her own music career: to not get too stuck in perfectionism, and be confident in releasing music at a regular pace. This is in contrast to another of her favorite artists, Lauryn Hill — whose 1998 debut album ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ was so perfect that, if Orion was in Hill’s shoes, she says, she would have found the album almost intimidating to follow.
- Drawing lessons from Wonder and Hill, and reflecting on her own journey, Orion explains how SoundCloud is the ideal platform for how she approaches releasing music — as a platform of self expression, not playing by the rules, being active with her output and never missing a chance to connect with her fanbase.
Orion Sun on Using SoundCloud Like a Diary and to Showcase Her Production
- Early in her journey, Orion Sun used SoundCloud as a musical diary — regularly posting demos, mixtapes and albums. By nurturing a loyal fan community through these raw uploads, she credits SoundCloud with shaping her artistry and boosting her visibility in the indie R&B scene.
- Among her releases on SoundCloud, the ‘Test: Experimental Tape Series’ have been some of Orion’s most formative. The seven-part series has been a creative evolution: a document of her production and vocal skills, and a means to present her music as raw and independently as possible. As Orion tells it, SoundCloud has been instrumental in this documentation — and she’s taken the creative evolution forward into her albums, too.
Production Tips on Learning New DAWs, Incorporating Field Recordings and More
- As Orion Sun’s production journey evolved, she moved from acoustic guitar and basic software to self-producing an array of instruments. She shares how she’s been inspired by the natural beauty of Los Angeles to “paint a picture” with sound, on tracks like “When I Was In Love;” to craft immersive indie R&B soundscapes that resonate with listeners on a deeply personal level.
- As a solo artist, Orion Sun continues collaborating with top-tier producers like Rostam of Vampire Weekend, who co-produced the track “Concrete” on her 2022 ‘Getaway’ EP. She details her creative synergy with Rostam and how it’s influenced her evolving indie R&B style.
Orion Sun on Upcoming Tour Dates, Celebrating Artist Growth and Creating New Goals
- Looking ahead, Orion is writing new material and expanding her live shows — touring across the UK, Europe and the US from February to May 2025. Keep an eye out for Orion Sun concert announcements, tickets and merchandise; as she takes her 2024 album ‘Orion’ and forthcoming tracks to fans worldwide.
- Orion also opens up about how, over time and through her experiences performing, she has grown as an artist, and is now working on leveling up her live show. She explains the importance of having her live show correlate with her wider vision as a recording artist, and how her goal is to make music that is more in alignment with how she wants to present and perform her music in front of live audiences in this next chapter of her career. She also emphasizes how crucial it is to be ready for whatever is next as an artist, so when inspiration strikes, she can welcome it with authenticity.
Links and Extras
Follow Orion Sun’s journey on SoundCloud.
Press play on Orion’s 2024 album, ‘Orion.’
Buy tickets for Orion Sun’s 2025 tour dates.
Follow Rostam, who produced “Concrete.”
Check out Orion Sun’s first full-length release, 2017’s ‘orion sun (a collection of fleeting moments and daydreams).’
Listen to Orion Sun’s collaboration with Fred again.., “ItsNotREEAALLLLLLLL.”
Check out some of Orion Sun’s musical influences, including artists like Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill and Corinne Bailey Rae.
Add the Buzzing: R&B playlist to your weekly rotation.
Never miss an episode and follow the official Sound Advice playlist on SoundCloud.
Getting The Most Out of SoundCloud
- Learn more about using DMs to connect with fellow artists and potential collaborators.
- Learn more about how to make a custom playlist on SoundCloud.
- Learn more about unlimited uploads, available with an Artist Pro subscription.
- Learn more unlocking access to unlimited distribution, available with Artist Pro.
- Learn more about getting heard with SoundCloud’s updated algorithm, available to Artist and Artist Pro subscribers.
To discover additional features a SoundCloud Artist or Artist Pro subscription offers, visit here. To catch up on past installments of Sound Advice and make sure you don’t miss out on future episodes, visit here.
CREDITS Host: Vivian Host, Executive Producer: Mike Spinella, Producer: KC Orcutt, Audio Engineer: David “DibS” Shackney, Coordinator: Trevor McGee, Editorial Associate: Lauren Martin
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