Half an Orange

Half an Orange comprises two Ohio natives, Andrew Spellman and Michael Maloof. The duo's unique name is derived from a Portuguese phrase Michael encountered while living on a beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for a year. The phrase, "metade da laranja" (translated to "half an orange"), signifies that everyone is half an orange seeking the person, thing, or purpose that completes them (or the other half of their orange). According to the saying, if you're still only half an orange, you're still feeling lonely and lost in the world. The pair appreciated the name because they often felt somewhat lost or out of place themselves.

Upon returning from his year of backpacking through Brazil, Michael shared his poetry with Andrew, who helped transform it into music. They would initially convert each poem into an acoustic song before heading to the studio to develop the organic and acoustic sound into a full electronic production. This process gives their music a natural feel while still incorporating the thrill and experiences unique to electronic music.

Michael and Andrew released their first track under Half an Orange, Downtown, one month after coming back from Brazil. Within just 30 days, it achieved over 300,000 streams online. They subsequently released their next three songs (Far from Young, I Need U to Stay, and Stems) with support from Electro Posé, a leading electronic music label worldwide. That summer, their music collectively amassed over 2 million streams across all platforms.