Danish indie ensemble Orange Monks releases first single ‘By All Means’ from new album ‘Antelope’

Danish indie rock band Orange Monks burst onto the scene in the early 2010s with critically acclaimed releases and a run of concerts. But writer’s block and an increasing anxiety about performing brought frontman and driving force Henrik Astrup’s musical journey to an abrupt standstill. It would take a renewed artistic vision—and a reimagined approach to songwriting—to unlock his creativity once more. The result is Antelope: an album that seamlessly weaves classic songcraft with cinematic instrumental passages, inviting stillness, immersion and reflection as a counterpoint to the relentless noise of the times.

Today, ORANGE MONKS release the album’s first single, the quiet and painfully reflective By All Means — Astrup says about the song’s creation and theme:

“‘By All Means’ was written at a point in my life, where I had become a father to my first child. I felt a strange detachment from the reality and life situation I found myself in - a wery strange and ambiguous feeling, because, at the same time, life was good and I was happy and proud and it all made sense.

It’s about no longer being able to feel yourself or find your footing — and from that ground zero, which in many ways is a very dark existential place to be, finding new strength in your hopelessness and rising up again.”

Orange Monks was formed in Aarhus in 2010. Singer, songwriter and composer Henrik Astrup has always been the band’s creative core, collaborating over the years with a wide circle of musicians. When the band released their debut EP Black Lung in 2010, it was met with strong reviews in leading Danish outlets including Gaffa and Politiken. Momentum quickly followed, with an active live schedule and two subsequent albums, Lion’s Den (2011) and Deadstock (2015). The early years brimmed with promise—until everything came to a halt, as Henrik was out of energy and withdrew from the performing side of his musical life.

After what accumulated to be years of writer’s block and mostage anxiety, Henrik once more found his way into songwriting, guided in part by a daily discipline inspired by filmmaker David Lynch’s reflections on creativity. Every day, seven days a week, Henrik sat down in his home studio for two hours. “I just had to show up—like a craftsman in his workshop. Same time, same place. That was the rule.” The simplicity of the ritual opened a door to his creativity, and now, six years after their last release, Orange Monks return with Antelope.

The original vision for Antelope was to create a record that combined cinematic instrumental landscapes with folk-infused indie rock songs. Henrik’s compelling, intimate vocal delivery—along with his ear for harmonies and layered textures—forms the backbone of the record, while elements of nature run as a common theme throughout the album. Antelope is a work that slows things down and invites calm and reflection, serving as a counterweight to the chaos and overstimulation that surround us in everyday life — a sense of calm and immersion that Henrik has sought in order to write songs again, and which we all probably need from time to time to find ourselves.