Code Orange’s Grammy nod first for Pittsburgh rock bands
The other members of Code Orange, on tour with Hatebreed, were sleeping in the back of a van traveling from Greensboro, N.C., to Orlando, Fla., Tuesday morning when bassist Joe Goldman got the news and yelled out.
“We woke up, saying, ‘What the hell’s going on?’ “said drummersinger Jami Morgan.
The news was that Code Orange, the hardcore metal/punk band formed at Pittsburgh CAPA, was nominated for a Grammy award in best metal performance for “Forever,” the title track to its third album.
“I’m not surprised,” Mr. Morgan said of the nomination. “But at the same time, it’s pretty cool. Now, people will have to recognize. Because you can’t deny that one. Not at all.
“We’ve worked very hard,” he continued. “Just because of the climate of the way music is now, I think we’ve worked harder than the giant metal and rock bands.
We’ve literally been touring in a van for seven straight years, nonstop, eight months.”
Also nominated in the metal category are August Burns Red, Body Count, Mastodon and Meshuggah. The Code Orange album landed at No. 50 this week on Rolling Stone’s list of the Best Albums of 2017.
Code Orange originally formed as 14-year-olds, and signed to Deathwish at 18 for the 2012 debut “Love Is Love/Return to Dust,” produced by mentor/hero Kurt Ballou of Converge. It gained them national attention and put them on the road with bands like [F-ed] Up and Every Time I Die.
Dropping “Kids” from the name, they went to the next level with “I Am King,” a second Ballou production that Pitchfork hailed as “the most forward-thinking post-hardcore record of 2014.” The touring cycle found Code Orange (which also includes guitarists Eric Balderose, Reba Meyers and Dominic Landolina) on the road with Killswitch Engage in the summer of 2014, at the Mayhem Festival in 2015 and with the Deftones last May. It drew more label attention to the band, landing them a deal with Roadrunner/Atlantic, home to Korn, Slipknot and Killswitch. Code Orange has been touring this year with Gojira and playing festivals such as the recent Ozzfest Meets Knotfest.
Although Pittsburghers like Christina Aguilera, Wiz Khalifa and Daya have been nominated or won in recent years, Code Orange becomes the first Pittsburgh rock band to score a nomination.
“I can’t wait for our high school to hear about it,” Mr. Morgan said.
Code Orange Kids got their start playing battle of the bands shows at CAPA. Except for that one in their junior year.
“We all went to the orchestra room,” Mr. Morgan said. “Six bands, five spots. The only way to get in was everyone raises their hand and votes who they want in. We were the only band that did not get in. Nobody voted for us!”
The Grammys take place Jan. 28 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. That night, Mr. Morgan said, “I think we’re supposed to be in California, but we’re gonna get there, no matter what.”