Review- Van Plating: Orange Blossom Child
Geographical origin often plays an integral role in the influence of music and lyric development. The case of Van Plating’s new album, Orange Blossom Child, is no exception. Florida is a cultural melting pot of dialect, instruments, and storytelling that all lend influence to the music made by artists of the region. Storytelling among the indigenous Seminoles and early Spanish settlers laid the foundation of folk music traditions. Telling tales of life in the swampland and along coastlines, these stories evolved into songs set to music throughout the generations. The rich culture of Florida is a blend of African American, Caribbean, and Latin heritages.
Photo by Sarah Brewington Baarns
Some of the most prolific Americana musicians and storytellers from Florida include an intricate finger-picking style guitarist, Gamble Rogers; Americana rock icon, Tom Petty; and alt-country legend, Gram Parsons. As with Van Plating, they all built a sonic patchwork of the influences that make Florida the place it is. It’s rich with blues, rock ‘n roll, folk storytelling, and country music. Plating tied the sounds of music in her home state to the lyrics that tell the story of her life and created Orange Blossom Child. Van Plating wrote, engineered, and produced the album herself. The multi-instrumentalist invited along 33 fellow creatives to impart their talents onto her album. When I spoke with Van, I asked how she managed to get so many artists onboard. She revealed that she simply asked and to her great surprise, they all said yes.
When Plating began writing songs again after a several-year hiatus, she hadn’t really thought it would be roots music. However, when she started playing live again after the pandemic shutdowns, many people even in her home area thought she was from another region. They assumed that because she “sounded so country” that she must be from Texas or Tennessee. This was a compliment to her authenticity. Van Plating grew up on country music. So, it was no wonder that when writing about life in the Sunshine State, that she would gravitate toward the genre known for documenting the American way of life. In a genre full of subtypes, Lakeland, Florida’s Plating has delivered her own brand of country: Orange Blossom Country. The beautiful photography for the album and its singles really prepares the listener for what they are about to hear. The jewel tones are so indicative of the Florida patina. The photo shoot wardrobe choices are also suggestive of the 90s country influences that Van Plating grew up with.
In early 2022, Van was reading a local magazine article about Polk County [Florida] music and musicians of the 1960s, particularly drummer Jon Corneal who coined the term “country rock.” Jon played in a band with Gram Parsons in the late 60s. That article made her realize she had already been acquainted with the unknown legend, Corneal, and it gave her the inspiration to write her next album about life in Florida. Orange Blossom Child was born of those vast Florida experiences and influences. She drew from the story of how her extended family came to the area in search of work and a better life, her mother’s struggles and triumphs, and especially her individual experiences growing up, creating a family of her own, and her re-entry into making music.
The first single released from the new album, “The Heron,” is full of imagery from Van’s memories growing up. The sights and sounds of the landscape, the wildlife, and the array of music that fills the thick Florida air. She opens the song with a tribute to Jon Corneal,
“The soul of country rock ‘n roll lives / Down the street from me / Do ya feel that swaying kick drum / Pulsing on the heat?”
Van is also inspired by the majestic blue heron and the freedom they represent. She continues the first verse with,
“The mighty heron soars ‘cross / lines of gold & blue / Close your eyes / Let your hands keep time / To the sky kings wingin’ beat”
As Plating was building the session for the track, she dreamed of having Florida-born singer-songwriter Elizabeth Cook join her on vocals. I have to say that it was a wonderful match and really elevated the already lush arrangement of the track.
“The Hard Way” is a very personal, tragic, and emotional song. After a brush with death, Van set out to make sense of it. It was a realization that she was meant to be here and that her path is intentional and it is to spread love and share stories – to create a communion of sorts. Van knew she wanted a male vocalist included in the song because she wanted it to be understood from both points of view. When a producer friend asked her if she could have anyone for the song, who would it be - she threw out the Grammy-winning Braun brothers of Reckless Kelly. As though it were always meant to be, it worked out perfectly that Cody and Willy Braun were available and agreed to sing on the track.
“They call it straight and narrow / But my road’s twisted up / my guitar’s gettin’ heavy / As I go / I’ll carry love in my right hand / My left one holding yours my friend / The hard way is the only way I know”
The most entertaining song on the album is clearly “The Sugar Palm Club.” It’s a throwback to the dance club in the 90s where Van Plating and her then-boyfriend, now husband, and friends would burn off a little steam on the dance floor. Twitter friend, Shelby Lee Lowe, seemed like a perfect fit to add that 90s flare to the opening verse and chorus harmonies and Van was right. Van expressed how much she enjoyed recording this track, “The cowbell and percussion work on “The Sugar Palm Club” is one of my favorite moments on the album. You literally cannot be in a bad mood while whacking the heck out of a cowbell. It never ceases to make me giggle. The song was begging for the Rolling Stones treatment, so I Amazon Primed myself a cowbell just for giggles and three cowbell parts, a shaker, and two tambourines later – voila!”
I tried to get Van to spill the tea on who the individual was that she wrote the song “Big Time Small Shot” about. She’s going to take that tidbit to her grave. No creative license was needed for this tune. She wrote the lyrics chronologically and exactly how the situation occurred. She wasn’t even going to write this song, let alone record it. Her mind was changed when she came across women on Twitter that were sharing their own similar scenarios with different men. It gave her the motivation to write the song after all but only played it at live gigs. She got such a raucous reception from her audiences that she knew she had to record it. As the icing on the cake, Plating brought in a backing girl gang formulated by the fearsome Nashville duo Boys Club for Girls. If you like a little “hot goss,” give this one a listen. I guarantee you’ll enjoy it.
The title track, “Orange Blossom Child” and “Joshua” bookend the album perfectly. “Orange Blossom Child” is where it all started. An ode to youth and a childhood friend who recently passed away, Van Plating describes the song as “a throwback to teenaged nights we spent wandering the Florida countryside, driving south on OBT from Mount Dora in the 90s – all we needed was a little gas in the tank, music cranked up, and the giddy adolescent premonitions of our future lives stretched out before us on those two-lane roads.” At the end of the day, no matter how or where we grew up, all we want is unconditional love; to be met at the table by someone who understands and sees us for who we are. That’s the message in “Joshua.” Love and acceptance are fundamental needs and Van Plating is here to spread all the love she can.
Download, stream, purchase a hard copy of the album, and get out to a show near you. I’ve had a couple of opportunities to see Van Plating perform at AmericanaFest in Nashville and she is a treat. Plating is a dynamic performer with lovely stage banter, audience interaction, multi-instrumentation and a knack for nailing melodies through lyrics. This release comes just ahead of this year’s AmericanaFest where you can catch these songs being performed live. Check the Americana Music Association’s website or download the AmericanaFest app for showcase times.
Find out more about Van Plating at the links below:
