For those of you into the local underground music scene, in addition to those of you who are not, here’s a semi-local band for your listening pleasure. They’re called Safety Word Orange and they’re a pop-rock alternative band from Richmond, Virginia. The band consists of five guys: lead vocals James Mason, guitarist Robbie Rusbuldt (who took the time to answer a few questions about the band), Jackson Wise also on guitar, Will Michalik on bass and Travis King on drums.

Their distinct sound has been compared to bands like Cartel, All Time Low and Third Eye Blind, but sophomore Jazmine Bounds said, “They’re good, definitely unique and they’re just not like any other band I’ve heard.”

Guitarist Robbie Rusbuldt said, “Since we have so many different influences within this band, we all pull from different styles and have come up with a unique sound of our own.”

The band has been featured in music magazines as well as online publications, including Alternative Press’ (issue #265) for one of the top unsigned artist’s for the month of August. They were also voted onto Warped Tour’s Ernie Ball stage this past year, and hopes to  participate in Warped Tour again this summer.

When giving advice to high school bands and musicians trying to make it in the industry Rusbuldt said, “[it’s] no different than anything else in life; if you work hard, you’ll see the results.” He added, “I always thought that putting a few songs online and playing a couple big shows would get my band signed, but that’s just not the way it works.” Safety Word Orange’s hard work and effort have paid off so far because their local fan-base just keeps growing.

The band’s name, Safety Word Orange, is representative of the “reminder of a hard time in our lives, [we] use this band as our safety net, in a way it keeps us all sane.” Their fans can definitely get that feeling through their music. “They really know how to get the crowd pumping, and their live shows are really good,” Bounds said.

So, where in Northern Virginia can you see Safety Word Orange play and what can you expect from a live show? They’ve played at rec-centers, private parties and Vienna’s own Jammin Java. “The venue doesn’t matter too much to us as long as the kids are there and having fun.” Rusbuldt said, and he suggested that people “search Safety Word Orange on YouTube and you’ll understand what it’s all about.”

You can purchase the bands current EP “On Your Mark, Get Set…” on iTunes right now, and look out for their new EP expected out early this summer.