Alex O’Connor aka Rex Orange County, is thrilled about releasing his new album and connecting with fans in-person. The 23-year-old artist has a ton of shows coming up including solo performances along with a North American and European tour.
LISTEN NOW: Rex Orange County Talks with Megan Holiday
“The very first time I ever played it was just me. And then I got a band,” O’Connor tells Audacy's Megan Holiday. Ahead of his forthcoming tour, the young musician is reverting back to his original game plan, performing with his piano. “It’s just me by myself like the way I wrote the songs originally,” he explained.
Rex Orange County planned on touring again following the release of his 2019 project Pony. However, his concerts were rescheduled and later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The “Keep It Up” singer admits that he was a bit nervous about upcoming ticket sales, since it’s been a while since he performed live. The Who Cares? tour stops in the United States, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand later this year. Surprisingly, his 2022 tour dates are nearly sold out.
Arriving this Friday, Who Cares? was crafted during the pandemic, and completed in just 12 days. “I didn't feel particularly inspired, to be honest initially. Even in lock down I wasn't really making music,” Rex revealed. “But I did end up making a bunch of stuff that I realized I wouldn't have made if I was on tour. If life would have carried on as normal, there's so much that I wouldn't have done.”
Listen to Rex Orange County and more on Audacy’s New Indie now
On Who Cares? Rex Orange County collaborated with multi-talented Dutch musician Benny Sings. The two artists previously dropped “Loving Is Easy” in 2017. “I was always inspired by him. When I first had a manager I was like I really want to work with this artist,” Rex expressed. The “Amazing” singer also shared that the soon-to-be-released track “If You Want It” is shockingly different from the rest of the project. According to Rex, the dance-inspired song proves that he’s willing to go elsewhere musically.
Listen to Megan Holiday’s full interview with Rex Orange County above. Rex Orange County’s new album Who Cares? is set to release March 11. His latest single “Open A Window” featuring Tyler the Creator is out now.
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