Crocheted MTV-era whimsy meets sticky-sweet indie pop-rock in Orange JeLy’s ‘Finding My Religion’ –

Orange JeLy found what R.E.M. lost with their latest single, Finding My Religion, a sticky-sweet indie pop-rock earworm from the loose musical collective led by father-daughter musicians Steve and Lois Jenkins. Written by Steve and performed by Orange JeLy with Lois on vocals, the single celebrates being lifted out of darkness by the right person, while the accompanying video revives the lost art of the MTV era through crocheted rock musicians and woollen oodles of handmade charm.

It is impossible not to get caught up in the whimsy of Finding My Religion, which refuses to water down the serotonin pouring freely from its scuzzy-angular guitar lines. Those guitars lock in with synths to create a garagey indie-new-wave aesthetic, teasing nostalgia around twee falsetto harmonies that embody youth while oozing sage lyrical wisdom.

Orange JeLy began during the 2020 lockdown as Steve’s attempt to give then-14-year-old Lois a creative outlet during isolation. Since then, the project has carried his late-life songwriting experiments, and now, with Lois returning after finishing her art degree, it feels newly recharged around her voice and wider musicianship.

Fans of the B-52s’ oddball brightness and the homespun indie eccentricity of early MTV-era alt-pop will find plenty to adore in the sugar-rushed, spiritually optimistic and gloriously crochet-clad instant playlist staple.

Finding My Religion is now available on all major streaming platforms. For the full experience, stream the official music video on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast