Orion Sun, the 24 year old artist from Philly-via-Jersey is creating sunshine-drenched, soulful music as she explores her ancestry and continues on a journey of self discovery. Orion (aka Tiffany Majette) recently released her new single Concrete, an ode to her story so far. “When I remember everything that I have done to get me here, the good and the bad, I am grateful for the lessons I have learned and I know that I make my family (dead or alive) proud,” she says. At the very least, I have not given up.” We talked Orion about her musical blueprint and the song she wrote in 2020 after being knocked to the ground by police at a Black Lives Matter protest:

Why ‘Orion Sun’? It’s beautiful.

“I have a deep curiosity and love for space. I could always see the orion constellation growing up. subconsciously this would aid in my decision. orion is the hunter, I relate in the sense that I too am a hunter. always looking for sounds that catch my ear, looking for ways to express myself etc. The sun part of my name stems from feeling like I'm a better daughter, friend, sister, sort of at a distance. I always say if the sun got any closer we'd all die but it's close enough to still feel its warmth and that's comforting. I am not closed off to vulnerability, just cautious."

We love the albums and singles you’ve released over the last couple of years! When did you begin singing and writing? Tell us about your musical journey.

“I've been writing for as long as I can remember. I've always loved music as well. kinda got serious for me around high school junior year (2013). I put out my first song on youtube and never stopped. I am addicted to creating.”

How did your upbringing in New Jersey shape your sound? And how did it evolve when you moved to Philadelphia? 

“I feel like growing up in South Jersey has shaped me in a positive way. Mount Laurel felt like such a nice middle point, not too far from the beach, city (Philly), and beautiful nature. I feel well rounded in that regard and I'm sure it comes out in the music somehow. Moving to Philly gave me the freedom to really reel in things that inspire me and in turn was able to form a nice community of artists who just wanna grow and learn in music and in life. a great foundation for me as I move forward. I'll take the good and the bad because I am super grateful for both of these places.”

Who inspires you musically? 

“Very rarely is it a "who" thing for me. More of a "what". experiences. scoring them, living through them, healing, loving, walking, jumping, seeing something really really beautiful, wishing, hoping, anger, running, crying, being present by the ocean, star gazing, bonfires, etc. Life is everything and it's painful and beautiful and I get inspired by it all.”

Your song Mama’s Baby is so poignant and helped make a difference (it raised over $18,000, donated to Breonna Taylor’s GoFundMe and the Loveland Foundation). How did you feel when you were writing it? Why was it important for you to create this song? 

‍“I felt terrible and hopeless. my body was still aching and i couldn't keep down food. I felt paranoid cause we lived next to a cop at the time (i ended up moving) but it was just a really dark time in the world and making this kinda felt like a warm blanket. My anxieties, I watched them disappear and that was a good feeling. figured if it made me feel good it might make others feel good too. The title was inspired by having to call my mom, who lives far from me, about what happened and it broke my heart when she started to cry.”

Who would you love to collaborate with? Other artists, producers, writer etc. 

“N/A.”

How do you hope people feel listening to Orion Sun?

“A reminder you're not alone in this.”

What is something (other than music) that you’re super passionate about? 

“Movies, photography, cars, going for hikes, food. I'm open to a lot so I fall into things too. Currently looking to do some woodworking or ceramics, I love doing things with my hands.”

What have you learnt about yourself on your journey so far? 

“I will fall and I will get back up again and I will learn from it and ultimately level up. I can be stubborn but not about my growth as a human being. I'm very flexible when it comes to that because I genuinely just wanna be happy and love myself and others properly.”

What’s next... we’re excited! 

“So much on the way :) Also me too! Thank you for your support! xoxo”

Concrete is out now.

@cloudgem